UZBEKISTAN: RESPONSE TO UNSCR 1803 DEMARCHE

S E C R E T TASHKENT 000301 SIPDIS SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2033 TAGS: PREL IAEA KNNP MNUC PARM IR UZ SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: RESPONSE TO UNSCR 1803 DEMARCHE REF: A. STATE 21770 ¶B. STATE 19200 ¶C. TASHKENT 139 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL) Classified By: P/E Chief Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (S/NF) Ambassador delivered ref A demarche on Iranian nuclear activities March 7 to Oybek Eshonov, Head of the MFA's Department of Asian and African Countries. Eshonov underscored Uzbekistan's concerns about Tehran, saying that reform is stalled, the economy is sinking and Ahmadinejad is unpopular. He expressed concern about the possibility of a military confrontation with Iran and asked about recent U.S.-Iranian negotiations over Iraq. Eshonov underscored the political and economic predicaments Uzbekistan faces when dealing with Iran. Iranian President Ahmadinejad has never traveled to Uzbekistan, nor has Uzbek President Karimov traveled to Iran, he said. Yet the two countries' foreign ministers continue to meet with one another regularly, carrying on as best they can. On trade relations, he pointed to Uzbekistan's recent seizure of radioactive material, that the Uzbeks say was destined for Iran (ref C). He said that Uzbekistan strives to remain fully transparent in its enforcement duties. At the same time, he alluded to Uzbekistan's heavy dependence on overland shipments passing through Iran. Uzbekistan is a double landlocked country bordered to the south and east by Afghanistan and high mountains. Its major trade routes pass through Russia and Iran. Eshonov obliquely questioned the U.S. commitment to economically isolating Iran, saying that we have over 100 million USD per year in trade with Iran. He thought that this weakened U.S. efforts to convince third countries to interpret UNSCR 1737 and 1747 more broadly. He added that Iran has no air cargo operations in Uzbekistan. ¶2. (C) Ambassador emphasized that the United States also wishes to avoid a military confrontation with Iran. He pointed out that the P5 1 Foreign Ministers' statement again made clear that we recognize Iran's right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. However, Iran must end its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities and meet its international obligations. NORLAND