AMBASSADOR REVIEWS WITH FM BAKIYEV 9/11 VISIT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 000986 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR MOPS KG SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR REVIEWS WITH FM BAKIYEV 9/11 VISIT TO TRANSIT CENTER AND GOKG VISITS TO THE U.S. REF: (A) BISHKEK 955 (B) BISHKEK 952 Classified By: Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller, for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Ambassador and Foreign Minister Sarbayev met September 9 to discuss the details of the 9/11 visit of President Bakiyev to the Transit Center. The Ambassador began by expressing satisfaction at the successful return the night before of USG weapons seized more than a year ago. She raised the status of the individual agreements with Spain and France for their forces at the Transit Center. Sarbayev said that Kyrgyzstan is interested in negotiating with these countries immediately and concluding new agreements. Sarbayev and the Ambassador reviewed details of the upcoming trips to the U.S. by the Prime Minister and himself and the Ambassador raised a logistical issue between the Manas Airport authorities and the Transit Center, which Sarbayev said he would look into. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Ambassador met September 9 with Foreign Minister Kadyrbek Sarbayev to review President Bakiyev's visit to the Transit Center on September 11 and the upcoming trip of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to the U.S. (REFTEL A) The Ambassador also expressed satisfaction that the Embassy had finally been able to retrieve the weapons seized in August 2008 by Kyrgyz authorities (SEPTEL). The Foreign Minister was unaware of the return of the weapons to the Embassy. PRESIDENT'S 9/11 VISIT TO TRANSIT CENTER -------------- ¶3. (C) The Ambassador reassured Sarbayev that the Transit Center would be ready for President Bakiyev's visit and that we consider the event to be extremely important. Sarbayev said that the group of Parliamentarians which had previously wanted to visit the Transit Center in early August, could now visit on September 15. The Ambassador and Sarbayev also discussed briefly the USD 8 million cargo pad construction process and time lines. The Ambassador noted that no Kyrgyz companies had bid on the ramp project and that the October vendors conference would hopefully assist Kyrgyz companies to participate in future projects, including the cargo pad. TRANSIT CENTER AGREEMENTS -------------- ¶4. (C) The Ambassador raised with Sarbayev the status of the individual agreements of Spain and France regarding their forces at the Transit Center. Spain must renegotiate its agreement prior to October 13 or withdraw its support personnel from the Transit Center. The Ambassador met on September 8 with regional Spanish Ambassador (based in Astana, Kazakhstan) Alberto Anton Cortes, who said that he had had a confusing meeting with Foreign Minister Sarbayev. The Spanish Ambassador said that Foreign Minister Sarbayev had told him that Spain needed to develop a "new agreement architecture" with Kyrgyzstan, including a SOFA-type agreement along with a specific Manas agreement. The Spanish Ambassador was confused as to how to go about this and asked for the Ambassador's help. Without a new agreement on Manas, the Spanish will have to leave the Transit Center by October ¶13. ¶5. (C) Sarbayev explained to Ambassador that Kyrgyzstan was interested in starting negotiations with Spain regarding its forces at Manas ASAP. He noted, however, that the Spanish have delayed the negotiation process, adding that the Kyrgyz government and Parliament would need to approve any agreement. Sarbayev clarified that he told Cortes that Kyrgyzstan and Spain would hopefully agree on a larger framework of non-military cooperation, but that a single agreement need be prepared on Manas. In a follow-up telephone call with Cortes, the Ambassador relayed the information from Sarbayev, reiterating that there need be only one agreement and that Spain needed to move forward quickly. The Spanish Ambassador expressed his gratitude for the clarification and said that he would forward a draft Manas agreement to Sarbaeyv shortly. ¶6. (C) Turning to the French, Sarbayev said that Kyrgyzstan had received a draft agreement from the French but that France wanted to wait until December to begin negotiations. He was not sure why France wanted to delay. Sarbayev indicated that both Spain and France need to start the BISHKEK 00000986 002 OF 002 negotiation process now. Sarbayev also mentioned that Singapore is interested in operating at the Transit Center, has already forwarded to the Kyrgyz a draft agreement for this, and that Kyrgyzstan is ready to begin discussing details. ¶7. (C) The Ambassador later talked with the French Charge to discuss what Sarbayev had said. The French Charge clarified that the agreement France had sent to Kyrgyzstan was not related to Manas and was an overall framework agreement covering security cooperation between the two countries. He added that France was not in a hurry to negotiate this document. The French Charge noted that without an extension or new agreement, the current France-Kyrgyzstan agreement for the Transit Center would expire on October 9. He said that France was drafting a new agreement and would begin negotiating with the Kyrgyz as soon as it was finished. He added that Paris was still dismayed that the U.S. had not given it a copy of the new Transit Agreement document and that this fact was delaying the drafting of their proposed agreement on Manas. TRIPS TO THE U.S. -------------- ¶8. (C) Sarbayev reviewed details of the upcoming Prime Minister trip to the U.S., noting that the delegation would be approximately 25 people. He again said that the PM would like to meet President Obama, noting that he could rearrange his schedule if necessary. Sarbayev said that the PM would arrive on September 20 via Moscow and would bring with him the Minister of Finance and have meetings at the World Bank, IMF, and USTR. Turning to his own trip, Sarbayev said that he was looking forward to accompanying the Prime Minister to the U.S. and later discussing the ABC mechanism. He wanted to ensure that the trips were considered separate. PROBLEMS WITH MIA -------------- ¶9. (C) The Ambassador raised the issue of the Manas International Airport (MIA) demanding additional personal and biographic information from contractors at the Transit Center before issuing access badges. MIA's demands violate prior arrangements with the Transit Center and have hindered daily activities at the Center. The Ambassador requested the intervention of the Foreign Minister with MIA. Sarbayev took note of the issue and said that he would look into it and be helpful. GFOELLER