PRESIDENT BAKIYEV TO VISIT TRANSIT CENTER ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000955 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR MOPS KG SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BAKIYEV TO VISIT TRANSIT CENTER ON SEPTEMBER 11TH REF: (A) BISHKEK 952 (B) 06 BISHKEK 1303 Classified By: Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller, for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) In a follow-up telephone conversation today to their August 26 meeting, the Ambassador and Foreign Minister Sarbayev agreed that President Bakiyev would visit the Transit Center at Manas on September 11 (REFTEL A). The Ambassador and Sarbayev agreed that there would be a short ceremony commemorating September 11th events followed by a tour of the Transit Center led by the Ambassador and the Transit Center director. Sarbayev and several Ministers also plan to visit informally the Transit Center on September 3 to review its operations in advance of the President's visit. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador told Sarbayev that she had received a draft outline of the President's speech from the President's Americas' desk officer. The Ambassador read to Sarbayev the general ideas of the President's proposed speech. A surprised Sarbayev said that he did not know about the speech and was grateful that the Ambassador had given him its contents. ¶3. (C) According to the draft outline of the speech, the President plans to highlight that the Transit Center is not the same as the previous base. He will highlight the new conditions and new construction projects at the Transit Center, noting that the re-locating of military airplanes to the new ramp which will be built will make the airport more safe and more comfortable for civilian travelers. The President's speech will also highlight the new Transit Center's role in boosting Kyrgyzstan's security and its contributions to stability in Afghanistan. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: President Bakiyev last visited the U.S. Base at Manas on September 11, 2006 and participated in a September 11th remembrance ceremony (REFTEL B). After a difficult summer 2006 in Kyrgyz-American relations, this visit was viewed as a significant step in encouraging a thaw. Unfortunately, tensions soon returned. When the Ambassador mentioned the earlier visit to Sarbayev, he seemed completely unaware of the 2006 visit and relieved that his idea of a Presidential visit on 9/11 was not original. The visit by the President to the Transit Center on September 11th will be a clear signal that the U.S.-Kyrgyzstan relationship is again improving after years of difficulty. END COMMENT GFOELLER