AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD MEETS WITH TURKMENISTAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000865 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD MEETS WITH TURKMENISTAN PERMREP ON DRAFT ENERGY TRANSIT RESOLUTION Classified By: AMBASSADOR ZALMAY KHALILZAD, FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 6. ¶2. (U) On September 25, Ambassador Khalilzad met with Turkmenistan Permanent Representative to the UN Aksoltan Ataeva on the margins of the UN General Assembly general debate. Ataeva solicited USG input on a Turkmenistan draft General Assembly resolution entitled "Reliable transit of energy and its role ensuring stable economic development and international cooperation." ¶3. (SBU) Aksoltan emphasized the importance of the pipeline security resolution to her country, and asked for USG thoughts. She said that in a recent conversation with Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Steven Mann, the State Department's Coordinator for Eurasian Energy Diplomacy, expressed support for the resolution, which Turkmenistan plans to introduce October 27 or 28 (Note: See Ashgabat 01240 on this meeting. End note.). Ambassador Khalilzad concurred with the importance of energy security as an issue and promised that he would get back to Aksoltan soon with USG comments on the resolution. Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rasit Meredow will arrive in New York on Saturday and plans to speak with counterparts from Azerbaijan on Monday to encourage their support. The delegations of Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Macedonia, Turkey and Uzbekistan have already joined the list of co-sponsors of the draft resolution. ¶4. (U) Turkmenistan also plans to hold an international conference on pipeline security this fall. Russia has indicated that it will participate and will give remarks. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Mission notes that the Turkmenistan government may benefit from speaking with the Azerbaijanis who had a rough time earlier this year negotiating a similar seemingly non-controversial resolution on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, in part because of stiff opposition from the Russian Federation. Should Russia oppose this resolution as well, hardnosed geopolitical considerations will likely be masked by broad assertions that the UN should not encroach on the principle of national sovereignty over the management of energy resources, a position that will have plenty of backers within the General Assembly. End Comment. ¶6. Action request: Mission requests guidance from Washington on the Turkmenistan draft resolution. Khalilzad