Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TASHKENT237
2008-02-21 13:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tashkent
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHNT #0237 0521303 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 211303Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9271 INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 3768 RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 9979 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2234 RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4382 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0260 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0910 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0308 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0225 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0237 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 3964 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2349 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1005
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000237
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEK PRIME MINISTER REPLACED
Classified By: P/E Chief Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b, d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000237
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEK PRIME MINISTER REPLACED
Classified By: P/E Chief Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b, d).
1. (C) Independent website Uzmetronom reported late on
February 21 that Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev has been
removed as Prime Minister and will assume duties as Hokim
(governor) of Ferghana Province. First Deputy Prime Minister
Rustam Azimov will assume duties as acting Prime Minister.
The announcement has not yet hit the official press agencies
but likely will either Friday or Saturday. President Karimov
is reportedly headed to Ferghana over the weekend for a
meeting of the Ferghana regional legislative assembly, during
which time an announcement is likely.
2. (C) Mirziyaev has been rumored for the past half year to
be on his way out, though in November he seemed to have
recovered his standing. His fall from power by no means
entails disgrace. Former Prime Minister Utkir Sultanov, who
was replaced in 2003, then spent three years as a Deputy
Prime Minister before moving on to head the TAPOich aircraft
manufacturing plant (Karimov's own alma mater).
3. (C) Azimov's star is clearly on the rise. He was out of
favor from 2003-2005 or so, following his role as a major
booster of the disastrous 2003 EBRD annual meeting held in
Tashkent. He has regained favor in the past two years and
was named last month as First Deputy Prime Minister. He has
arguably been among the most powerful cabinet ministers for
the past year. Whether he will remain as Prime Minister, we
do not know. He is widely seen as a promising figure for
U.S.-Uzbek relations, and he is thought to be a promoter of
sounder economic policies. He is a political survivor,
though, who will likely keep his own message in line with
Karimov's.
NORLAND
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEK PRIME MINISTER REPLACED
Classified By: P/E Chief Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b, d).
1. (C) Independent website Uzmetronom reported late on
February 21 that Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev has been
removed as Prime Minister and will assume duties as Hokim
(governor) of Ferghana Province. First Deputy Prime Minister
Rustam Azimov will assume duties as acting Prime Minister.
The announcement has not yet hit the official press agencies
but likely will either Friday or Saturday. President Karimov
is reportedly headed to Ferghana over the weekend for a
meeting of the Ferghana regional legislative assembly, during
which time an announcement is likely.
2. (C) Mirziyaev has been rumored for the past half year to
be on his way out, though in November he seemed to have
recovered his standing. His fall from power by no means
entails disgrace. Former Prime Minister Utkir Sultanov, who
was replaced in 2003, then spent three years as a Deputy
Prime Minister before moving on to head the TAPOich aircraft
manufacturing plant (Karimov's own alma mater).
3. (C) Azimov's star is clearly on the rise. He was out of
favor from 2003-2005 or so, following his role as a major
booster of the disastrous 2003 EBRD annual meeting held in
Tashkent. He has regained favor in the past two years and
was named last month as First Deputy Prime Minister. He has
arguably been among the most powerful cabinet ministers for
the past year. Whether he will remain as Prime Minister, we
do not know. He is widely seen as a promising figure for
U.S.-Uzbek relations, and he is thought to be a promoter of
sounder economic policies. He is a political survivor,
though, who will likely keep his own message in line with
Karimov's.
NORLAND