(C) KUDOS FOR REPORTING ON NEW RUSSIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 013583 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2035 TAGS: PINR PREL RS UZ SUBJECT: (C) KUDOS FOR REPORTING ON NEW RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO UZBEKISTAN (C-RE0-00109) REF: TASHKENT 000021 Classified By: ELISSA G. PITTERLE, DIRECTOR, INR/OPS ¶1. (C) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS ARE PLEASED TO COMMEND POST FOR NOTABLE BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING. INFORMATION FROM POST IS A KEY RESOURCE FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTS WE PREPARE FOR SENIOR POLICYMAKERS. BELOW WE HIGHLIGHT ESPECIALLY VALUABLE ASPECTS OF POST'S REPORTING. ¶2. (C) REFTEL PROVIDES EXTREMELY VALUABLE INSIGHT ON THE NEW RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TYURDENEV'S APPROACH TO FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS THAT IS NOT FOUND IN OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION. WE REGULARLY CITE SUCH INFORMATION IN BIOGRAPHIC REPORTS FOR U.S. OFFICIALS WHO ARE PREPARING FOR FORMAL DISCUSSIONS WITH A RUSSIAN OFFICIAL. BECAUSE U.S. OFFICIALS NEED TO KNOW IF THEIR INTERLOCUTORS REQUIRE AN INTERPRETER, WE STRIVE TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ABILITY OF RUSSIAN OFFICIALS AND WHETHER THEY ARE CONVERSANT IN ANY OTHER LANGUAGES. WE GREATLY APPRECIATED REFTEL FOR ADDRESSING TYURDENEV'S NEGOTIATING STYLE AND LANGUAGE SKILLS, ESPECIALLY HIS DECISION TO CONDUCT THE MEETING IN ENGLISH, AND POST'S COMMENT ON HIS AT TIMES PATERNALISTIC VIEWS ABOUT CENTRAL ASIA. ¶3. (C) WE GREATLY APPRECIATE POST PROVIDING A RUSSIAN OFFICIAL'S CURRICULUM VITAE WHEN AVAILABLE. IT HELPS US FILL GAPS AND VERIFY INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES. EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION THAT EXPLAINS HOW A PERSON ACHIEVED THE POSITIONS THAT HE OR SHE DID, SUCH AS THROUGH PERSONAL SKILL OR POLITICAL TIES. WHILE WE KNEW OF THE AMBASSADOR'S PREVIOUS POSTING IN BRAZIL, WE APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONAL DETAILS ABOUT HIS PAST EXPERIENCE INVOLVING CIS AFFAIRS. CLINTON