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 BISHKEK 00000204 001.2 OF 002 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' -------------- -------------- ¶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 BISHKEK 00000204 002.2 OF 002 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 -------------- -------------- ¶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