DISAGREEMENT AMONG EU EMBASSIES REGARDING HUMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000241 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2020 TAGS: PHUM PREL EUN TX SUBJECT: DISAGREEMENT AMONG EU EMBASSIES REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACH TO TURKMENISTAN Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Romanian Ambassador Radu Horumba (protect) met with Charge February 24 to share his concern about the EU human rights approach in Turkmenistan. Romania is representing the Spanish presidency, since there is no Spanish embassy in Ashgabat. Madrid has asked that there be a push to open a Human Rights Watch office in Turkmenistan and would like EU Special Representative for Central Asia Ambassador Pierre Morel to raise it during his visit to Ashgabat in early March. ¶2. (C) Horumba is convinced that a better tack would be to praise President Berdimuhamedov for his recent statement declaring there should be more than one political party, as is already permitted by Turkmenistan's constitution, and offer EU assistance in pursuing that goal. Horumba does not hold out hope that he will be able to get Madrid to agree, but thinks he can convince Morel. In his view, EU presidencies without embassies in country tend to care more about appeasing NGOs than actually trying to make a difference in Turkmenistan. Horumba says that new French Ambassador Pierre Lebovich agrees with the practical approach, but admits he would not be able to get Paris to listen to his point of view on the matter. (COMMENT: Charge met earlier in the day with Lebovich, who indeed did indicate that he wanted to take a "practical approach" on human rights. END COMMENT.) ¶3. (C) COMMENT: This is the not the first time EU embassies here have balked at following instructions from the presidency on human rights. During the recent Swedish presidency, Sweden, encouraged by Bulgaria, had wanted EU embassies here to get engaged on the issue of the former AUCA students who were on the travel blacklist. The UK Embassy, which represented the presidency for Sweden, and the German Embassy both refused to get in involved. ¶4. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: To our knowledge, Human Rights Watch has never had an office in Turkmenistan. The chance of the Turkmenistan government, which loathes criticism, allowing HRW to function in Turkmenistan is about zero. Nevertheless, Horumba is probably motivated as much by the fact that the Turkmen will not be able to distinguish between him wearing an EU hat and being the representative of Bucharest as by practicality. END COMMENT. CURRAN