UN SRSG JENCA BRIEFS AMBASSADOR ON HIS MEETINGS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 000204

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR KG AF
SUBJECT: UN SRSG JENCA BRIEFS AMBASSADOR ON HIS MEETINGS
WITH KYRGYZ LEADERS

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Classified By: Ambassador Tatiana Gfoeller for Reasons 1.4 (b) and(d)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Visiting Special Representative of the UN
Secretary General (SRSG) Miroslav Jenca acknowledged the
importance of Manas Air Base to UN and Coalition efforts in
Afghanistan during his recent meeting with the Ambassador.
In preceding meetings with senior Kyrgyz officials, Jenca
thought he perceived a genuine interest in continuing base
discussions and surmised that the Kyrgyz do not fully
appreciate the current security situation in Afghanistan.
Jenca described a growing role for his Ashgabat-based
Regional Center for Preventative Diplomacy for Central Asia
(UNRCCA) in preventing escalating tensions and promoting
regional cooperation on water and counterterrorism issues.
END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) On March 5, the Ambassador met with Special
Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) and Head of
the UN Regional Center for Preventative Diplomacy for Central
Asia (UNRCCA) Miroslav Jenca during his three-day visit to
Bishkek. Jenca offered an overview of the Center's mandate,
focusing on its role in fostering preventive diplomacy to
prevent tensions from escalating and liaising with the UN
Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Afghanistan's
impact on Central Asia. The added value of the Center,
according to Jenca, lies in its ability to provide a
political platform for Central Asian leaders to meet and
relieve tensions that could otherwise become "hot" conflicts.
Jenca cautioned that the Center sought to facilitate, not
duplicate, the role of other active UN agencies.

MANAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE AFGHAN SITUATION 'NOT GOOD'
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3. (C) Jenca recounted his March 4 meetings with Foreign
Minister Sarbayev and Presidential Chief of Staff Usenov.
Jenca concurred with the Ambassador's concern that senior
Kyrgyz officials did not adequately understand the security
situation in Afghanistan. During his meetings the preceding
day, Jenca claimed to have set the record straight by
explaining senior UN perspectives on Afghanistan. Jenca
emphasized that the Secretary General and UNAMA SRSG Kai Eide
have made clear that the security situation is "not good."
He recalled meeting General Petraeus in Tashkent during his
February 16-17 visit, describing the agreement with
Uzbekistan as a positive step forward on transit routes, but
acknowledged the continued importance of Manas Air Base due
to the fragile security situation.


4. (C) Based on his March 4 meeting with Kyrgyz Presidential
Chief of Staff Usenov, Jenca thought that Usenov believed
there was a possibility to move forward with Manas Air Base
discussions. He said that Usenov expressed a desire to
continue discussions with the U.S. on supporting Coalition
efforts in Afghanistan. Jenca believed that Usenov was
sending clear signals of Kyrgyz interest in continuing
discussions and expanding Kyrgyz participation in Afghan
reconstruction projects.


5. (C) Jenca explained the UN was "looking with concern" over
recent developments in Afghanistan in organizing Presidential
and provincial elections. In the current security
environment, he concluded that organizing an election that
would be recognized by the international community would be
extremely challenging. In his view, holding an election
before this summer would be problematic because UNAMA could
not guarantee that sufficient conditions would be in place to
ensure the security of voters.


6. (SBU) Jenca reported that Kyrgyz officials and other
unnamed Central Asian leaders have proposed hosting a

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high-level event to analyze the impact of developments in
Afghanistan on Central Asia. His Center was supportive of
hosting such an event this summer, but had not decided upon a
venue.


7. (C) Jenca pressed the Ambassador on recent developments on
Manas Air Base. The Ambassador replied that discussions
continue, but that the U.S. is prepared to depart in an
orderly fashion. Jenca acknowledged that Kyrgyz officials
are concerned about future relations with the U.S. in light
of the possible Base closure, remarking "they think about
it." Jenca expressed surprise at the speed with which the
Kyrgyz Parliament accepted the Russian aid proposal and
denounced the Base agreement.

TREADING WATER
--------------


8. (C) Several times, Jenca raised the issue of water and
energy, commenting on the Russian investment in the proposed
Kambarata I hydroelectric plant. Jenca recalled that Central
Asian countries promised as late as the October CIS summit
that they would take transparent actions with their neighbors
to ensure that they would not cause damage to downstream
countries. When the Ambassador remarked that several experts
who have studied the proposal concluded that the project is
not economically viable, Jenca appeared surprised and replied
that the UN had not looked at it from this perspective. He
suggested that Russian President Medvedev's statement that
all concerned countries should be consulted on decisions
regarding new hydroelectric projects had upset the Tajiks and
the Kyrgyz, while the decision to go forward with the
proposed Kambarata I plant would in turn upset the Kazakhs
and the Uzbeks.

COUNTERTERRORISM IMPORTANT, BUT NOT FOR SUPPRESSION
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9. (C) Jenca concluded the discussion with an overview on his
Center's view on counterterrorism. He agreed with the
Ambassador on the importance of cooperating with the GOKG on
combating terrorism and religious extremism, but not at the
detriment to freedoms. He said he told senior Kyrgyz
interlocutors that the fight against extremism and terrorism
is important, but should not be used to suppress the
political opposition or lower the standards of human rights.
Jenca saw a great deal of space and interest from Central
Asian countries in engaging on counter-terrorism activities,
commenting that "it's (the) one area where they get along."


10. (C) COMMENT: Jenca's meetings with senior Kyrgyz
officials track what we have heard from others about their
interest in continuing discussions on the Base. His
independent confirmation to Kyrgyz officials of the security
situation in Afghanistan is important because it reminds them
that Manas' significance exceeds our bilateral relations. On
water -- one of the prime regional mandates of his Center --
his surprise at the inefficiency of the Kambarata proposal
suggests a lack of direct involvement in the issues.
GFOELLER