Cablegate: Deputy Foreign Minister Talks Religion and Electricity

VZCZCXRO2987
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDH RUEHGI RUEHJS RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHPW
RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHTRO RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0215 0561141
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 251141Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1296
INFO RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2785
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0467
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000215

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KISL TI
SUBJECT: DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER TALKS RELIGION AND ELECTRICITY

1. (SBU) Deputy Foreign Minister Abdullo Yuldashev summoned
Ambassador Gross on February 25 to discuss a range of religious,
economic, and political issues. On May 18-20, Tajikistan will
host an Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) Foreign
Ministers summit in Dushanbe and will invite U.S. Special Envoy
to the OIC Rashad Hussain. Yuldashev lauded the Obama
Administration's efforts to reach out to Muslim communities,
citing President Obama's Cairo speech and Secretary Clinton's
address to the U.S. - Islamic World Forum. Yuldashev said
Tajikistan likely would sign on to OIC boiler plate statements
regarding the Palestinian Territories and Kashmir, but that
Tajikistan wanted good relationships with "Muslim, Non-Muslim,
and atheist countries, like our friends the Chinese."

2. (SBU) Yuldashev shifted from religion to electricity by
noting that the proposed Central Asia South Asia (CASA 1000)
electricity transmission line would connect four Muslim
countries in an instable region. The Tajiks and Kyrgyz would
export hydropower electricity, initially only in the summer, to
Afghanistan and Pakistan. Yuldashev asked for U.S. support in
discussions with the Asian Development Bank, which has backed
off from its earlier intention to finance 40% of the project.
(The World Bank and Islamic Development Bank agreed to finance
40% and 20% of the project, respectively. Asian Development
Bank representatives have told us they are awaiting the results
of a feasibility study due out after May.)

3. (SBU) Shifting to Tajik-Uzbek relations, Yuldashev complained
that the Uzbeks were unwilling to negotiate over regional energy
projects and ceased supplying part of the Tajik Sughd Oblast
with electricity, causing a mining venture to cease operations.
"I hope now that you believe in our determination to build
Roghun." He also said a rise in Islamic radicalism stemmed from
Uzbekistan. "Although we never have and never will divide
citizens on an ethnic basis, most of those under the influence
of radical ideas are of ethnic Uzbek origin."

4. (SBU) COMMENT: The Embassy would welcome a visit by Special
Envoy Hussain to the OIC summit to emphasize the
Administration's focus on improving U.S. relations with the
Muslim world. On CASA 1000, raised by the Tajiks in nearly
every meeting with USG officials, we will have a more solid
basis for discussion after the feasibility study is completed.
END COMMENT

GROSS

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