FORMER SOVIET WEAPONS SCIENTISTS CONTRIBUTE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000218

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SCA/CEN FOR BRIAN RORAFF AND ISN/NNPN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM MNUC KNNP EMIN ECON EIND ETTC
ENRG, UZ
SUBJECT: FORMER SOVIET WEAPONS SCIENTISTS CONTRIBUTE TO
PEACEFUL COMMERCIAL PROJECT

Classified By: Poloff Tim Buckley for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met on February 13 with a
team from the Los Alamos National Laboratory involved in a
project to provide gainful commercial employment for former
weapons scientists. The USD one million project is going
well at the halfway point, and Uzbek scientists are making
cobalt 57 for medical use. However, the Uzbek Institute for
Nuclear Physics, part of the state Academy of Sciences, is
encountering problems with other elements of the government
which are attempting to tax the finished products despite the
tax-exempt status. This is not hindering the project but
illustrates the power dynamics within the Government of
Uzbekistan. End summary.


2. (C) On February 13 the Ambassador met with a visiting team
from the Los Alamos National Laboratory to get an update on
an ongoing project in Uzbekistan involving former Soviet
weapons of mass destruction scientists. The project,
administered by the Los Alamos National Laboratory under the
auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration, is
part of the Global Initiative for Proliferation Prevention
(GIPP) and seeks to ensure that former weapons scientists are
gainfully employed in peaceful pursuits. The Los Alamos team
visited at the halfway point of a three-year, USD 1 million
project, and it was their first visit to the state-run
Institute for Nuclear Physics (INP).


3. (C) The Los Alamos staff assists in identifying U.S.
industrial partners who are interested in the knowledge and
skills of former weapons scientists, who then continue to
work in Uzbekistan on projects of interest. Presently, the
Uzbeks are producing cobalt 57, a medical isotopic product
with commercial applications. The Los Alamos team noted
there is strong interest among Uzbek scientists in the
project, especially given the abysmally low salaries in
Uzbekistan for highly-skilled professional scientists. The
Uzbeks have two cyclotrons, which accelerate proton
particles, but they utilize old technology. Nonetheless, the
Los Alamos team is satisfied by the progress the Uzbek
scientists are making in the project, including successful
upgrades to sophisticated equipment. After speaking with the
Uzbek Project Leader, the visiting Los Alamos team was
impressed by the overall level of training, especially given
that 16 years have passed since the breakup of the Soviet
Union.


4. (C) The Uzbek Institute for Nuclear Physics (INP) is
administered by the state-run Academy of Sciences. While
there is significant interest in making the ongoing project a
success, the INP is encountering typical difficulties with
Uzbek authorities who try to levy taxes on the exported
products. The INP's products are supposed to be tax-exempt,
but the Los Alamos team pointed out that this is an Uzbek
problem that the INP has to grapple with in order to receive
full payment for deliverables. They also confirmed that the
final products shipped out of Uzbekistan have a short
radioactive half-life and are a low security risk.


5. (C) Comment: We have found from INL projects in forensic
laboratories that Uzbek scientists are grateful for
opportunities to use modern equipment and crave interaction
with Western counterparts; the observations of the visiting
Los Alamos team are consistent. It is interesting that the
Academy of Sciences recognizes the value of this type of
project for Uzbekistan, especially since it brings in
revenue, but even a state-run entity still cannot avoid
problems posed by other elements of the Government of
Uzbekistan who want to levy taxes. This is yet another
illustration of how the "power ministries" exercise real
control in the country, especially if there is money
involved. End comment.

NORLAND