OSCE CENTER HIGHLIGHTS POSITIVE COOPERATION WITH

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001267

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN; DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL OSCE TX
SUBJECT: OSCE CENTER HIGHLIGHTS POSITIVE COOPERATION WITH
TURKMEN GOVERNMENT


1. (SBU) On October 1, the Head of the OSCE Center in
Ashgabat, Ambassador Arsim Zekolli, briefed representatives
of OSCE-member country embassies on the activities of the
Center during the past year. The briefing was based on
Zekolli's Report to the OSCE Permanent Council on September
3, but also included presentations by OSCE staff responsible
for implementation of projects in the Center's three main
areas of activity. In his overall assessment, Zekolli noted
the Center's increasingly positive cooperation with the
Turkmen government, in both its quantitative and qualitative
aspects. Quantitatively, the number of projects and events
has increased. Qualitatively, the Turkmen government is more
actively engaged in OSCE projects and the projects themselves
have more scope and depth. Zekolli was positive about
prospects for further cooperation, citing the following
factors: an increased number of meetings for OSCE staff with
government officials; a greater interest by the Turkmen
government in international contacts, including with
international organizations; and more openness on the part of
the Turkmen government to consider proposals for OSCE
activities involving ideas that to date have not circulated
in the country. The Center has proposed 30 projects for
2010, subject government approval. This would be an increase
over the 28 projects approved for 2009, which for the first
time included areas such as media and penitentiary reform.
Zekolli mentioned that the Turkmen ambassador to the OSCE, in
his response to the Report, had expressed the Turkmen
government's willingness to continue carrying out reforms,
and that the OSCE assured the government of its willingness
to continue cooperation along that path.


2. (SBU) In the political-military dimension, the Center has
focused on border security/management and anti-drug
trafficking projects. Two projects have involved joint
training of Turkmen and Afghan customs officials. In the
economic-environmental dimension, emphasis has been on
supporting a market-driven agriculture sector and the
economic use of water resources. In the human dimension, in
addition to providing legal consultations to 250 individuals,
the Center carried out projects in penitentiary reform,
anti-trafficking in persons, and support for legal reform and
rule of law.


3. (SBU) Throughout the briefing, Kazakh Ambassador to
Turkmenistan Askhat Orazbay, as representative of the
incoming OSCE chairmanship, sat next to Zekolli at the head
table. Commenting on the Kazakh chairmanship, Zekolli
emphasized its importance for the entire Central Asian region
and said its chairmanship was awaited with "impatience." The
Kazakh ambassador remarked that if will be easier for the
OSCE Center in Ashgabat to do its work when the
chairperson-in-office (CiO) has an embassy in country. He
noted that it is special to have a Central Asian country as
CiO and that as CiO, the Kazakhs will work to achieve the
goals and objectives set forth for Turkmenistan. Orazbay
added that Kazakhstan considers itself the "collective
candidate" from Central Asia and will take the
recommendations of its neighbors into consideration.


4. (SBU) COMMENT: It remains to be seen what, if any,
difference it makes to the OSCE's program in Turkmenistan
that the OSCE CiO will be Turkmenistan's neighbor. That many
of the issues that the OSCE seeks to address in Turkmenistan,
such as legal and market reform, democratic institution
building and border control, are "internal matters" raises
the question of how much the Kazakhs would be willing to
irritate the Turkmen and risk their bilateral relationship in
order to advance the OSCE agenda. END COMMENT.
CURRAN