1. (C) Summary: During a meeting with the Ambassador
February 13, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yannian ridiculed the
idea, but did not deny categorically, that China would
provide Kyrgyzstan a $3 billion financial package in return
for closing Manas Air Base. Zhang said Kyrgyzstan was in
Russia's sphere of influence, and China had only commercial
interests here. He also complained bitterly about Chinese
Guantanamo detainees being shipped to Germany instead of
China. Zhang was very interested in whether the U.S. would
negotiate to keep Manas, and he advised just giving the
Kyrgyz $150 million a year for the Base. "This is all about
money," he said. End Summary. More ...

Tags:China, Wikileaks, Cablegate

1. (S/NF) A Turkmen customs official told an Embassy LES on
February 13 that an Iranian Embassy diplomatic container with
AK-47's, sniper rifles and ammunition hidden in it had been
discovered one week earlier at the Serdar Uli (Gaudan)
customs point in Ashgabat, where vehicles and containers
arriving from or bound for Iran are inspected. The weapons
were reportedly hidden underneath two Turkmen carpets that
the Iranian Embassy was shipping to Iran. More ...

Tags:Iran, Wikileaks, Cablegate

1. (C) The Turkmen Government announced earlier this month
that President Berdimuhamedov had signed a decree allowing
the state chemical concern "Turkmenkhimiya" to enter into a
contract with Ekomet-S of Russia for the transfer and burial
of radioactive waste. The waste was reportedly produced at
the Hazar chemical plant and at the Balkanabat iodine plant. More ...

Tags:Turkey, Iran, Wikileaks, Cablegate

1. (C) In a conversation today with Iran Watcher, a [Source removed] in Ashgabat labeled the announcement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in Friday’s presidential election a “coup d’etat,” and called Iran’s incumbent President “another Pinochet.” [Name removed] said that based on calculations from Mousavi’s campaign observers who were present at polling stations around the country and who witnessed the vote counts, Mousavi received approximately 26 million (or 61%) of the 42 million votes cast in Friday’s election, followed by Mehdi Karroubi (10-12 million). According to his sources, Ahmadinejad received “a maximum of 4-5 million votes,” with the remainder going to Mohsen Rezai. He said that more than anything else, the huge turnout of voters on Friday was a reflection of the Iranian electorate’s overwhelming “anti-Ahmadinejad” sentiments.More ...

Tags:Iran, Wikileaks, Cablegate

1. (C) SUMMARY: XXXXXXXXXXXX's advised in a recent conversation with Ashgabat Iran Watcher that the U.S. would be ill-advised to begin talks with Iran, that it would be great disappointment to Iranians who have found hope in President Obama's message of change. He called Iran's leadership “untrustworthy,” and described the three main groups that he said are sustaining the regime: the “clerical establishment, the paramilitaries and the Bazaaris (merchant class).” XXXXXXXXXXXX finds little difference between any of the major figures in Iran, including most members of the opposition. END SUMMARY.More ...

Tags:Iran, US, Wikileaks, Cablegate

1.(C) On January 15, KazMunaiGas First Vice President Maskat Idenov expelled from a meeting Chevron executives Guy Hollingsworth, President for Chevron Eurasia, Europe, and Middle East Exploration and Production, and James Johnson, Chevron Eurasia Strategic Business Unit Managing Director. In press reports, an unnamed source stated that the two were thrown out of the meeting because of “improper comments on Kashagan negotiations and disrespectful conduct towards KazMunaiGas management.” Johnson told us later that the incident occurred at the end of a meeting that had gone generally well, and resulted from an innocent issue over the newly-arrived Johnson not having his cell phone number handy to exchange with Idenov. Idenov,s version of the conversation was heavy with descriptions of Hollingsworth £ing on the table8 and Johnson slowly tapping a business card on the table while telling Idenov all he needed was his secretary,s phone number. Idenov almost immediately sent a letter of protest to Chevron CEO Dave O,Reilly, and faxed (twice) a cc to the Ambassador. Knowledge of the incident, and the letter, have been the talk of the diplomatic and business community ever since, with sources ranging from the Indian Ambassador to the local ABN Amro chief raising it with the Ambassador.More ...

Tags:Energy, Chevron, US

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Summary
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1. (C) Kazakhstan’s political elites appear to enjoy typical hobbies -- such as travel, horseback riding, and skiing. Not surprisingly, however, they are able to indulge in their hobbies on a grand scale, whether flying Elton John to Kazakhstan for a concert or trading domestic property for a palace in the United Arab Emirates. This cable recounts several instances in which Embassy officers have learned of, or witnessed, the recreational habits of Kazakhstan’s leaders. End Summary.More ...

Tags:Corruption, Wikileaks, Cablegate

1. (C) SUMMARY: The Kazakhstani authorities recently launched a well-publicized anti-corruption campaign that has resulted in the arrest of several high-ranking individuals, including the Minister of Environment and a Deputy Minister of Defense, and in convictions of a number of others. The campaign appears to have the full support of President Nazarbayev, who has repeatedly called on the government and the ruling Nur Otan party to battle this “most serious evil.” Political analysts and civil society leaders remain skeptical, however, that the government’s clean-up efforts will bring permanent results. Most see the campaign simply as evidence of a power struggle among elite groups within the Kazakhstani government and doubt that any of the “biggest fish” will be affected. END SUMMARY.More ...

Tags:Corruption, Wikileaks, Cablegate

1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On June 5, Chinese Ambassador Cheng Guoping hosted the Ambassador for dinner at the restaurant on the 23rd floor of a striking new hotel built in Astana and owned by the Chinese National Petroleum Company. During a fascinating, wide-ranging, three-hour tour d’horizon, the Chinese Ambassador discussed his government’s policy -- and occasionally made personal comments -- on human rights, smart power, President Obama, Afghanistan’s reconstruction, Russia’s policy in Central Asia, Georgian President Saakashvili, Iran’s upcoming presidential elections, North Korea’s nuclear tests, Central Asia’s energy resources, the Manas air base, and the proposed international nuclear fuel bank. The Chinese Ambassador clearly enjoyed the free and easy, open-ended conversation and invited the Ambassador to meet again, at the restaurant, in the near future. Guoping was joined by an unidentified policy advisor and an interpreter, to whom he addressed his remarks in soft whispers throughout the evening. END SUMMARY.More ...

Tags:China, US, Energy, Nazarbayev, Manas

1. (S) SUMMARY: During a private dinner, KazMunaiGaz First Vice President Maksat Idenov named, in his view, the four most powerful gate-keepers around President Nursultan Nazarbayev: Chief of Administration and General Services of the President’s Office Sarybai Kalmurzayev, the President’s Chief of Staff Aslan Musin, State Secretary-Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev, and the tandem of Prime Minister Karim Masimov and Nazarbayev’s billionaire son-in-law Timur Kulibayev. According to Idenov, in Kazakhstan, market economy means capitalism, which means big money, XXXXXXXXXXXX. The following details are a single snapshot of one version of current reality. The significant point is that Nazarbayev is standing with Idenov, not Kulibayev, to maintain international standards to develop the massive Kashagan and Karachaganak hydrocarbon projects. END SUMMARY.More ...

Tags:Wikileaks, Cablegate, Corruption, Kulibaev, Nazarbayev, US

1. (C) SUMMARY: On October 28, the Ambassador participated in a two-hour brunch to brief HRH the Duke of York ahead of his meetings with the Kyrgyz Prime Minister and other high-level officials. She was the only non-subject of the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth invited to participate by the British Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic. Other participants included major British investors in Kyrgyzstan and the Canadian operator of XXXXXXXX. The discussion covered the investment climate for Western firms in the Kyrgyz Republic, the problem of corruption, the revival of the “Great Game,” Russian and Chinese influence in the country, and the Prince’s personal views on promoting British economic interests. Astonishingly candid, the discussion at times verged on the rude (from the British side). END SUMMARY.More ...

Tags:Wikileaks, Bakiyev, Corruption, Cablegate, UK, Prince Andrew

Remember all that hubub in 2009 about the possible closure of the Manas Airbase? Well, WikiLeaks reveals, so to speak, the Chinese view on the matter, albeit via American eyes.

Arguably, it appears the Kyrgyz officials were trying to slyly induce China into giving them additional cash — or, conversely, that there was some talk of a deal, which the Americans sniffed out and confronted the Chinese about. The Chinese Ambassador seems rather frank in this account, talking about unemployment and discontent in his country, as well as the resentment China felt over the fate of Guantanamo Bay’s Uighur prisoners (”imply[ing] that the Guantanamo situation had made China look for ways to hit back at the U.S.”)

Here’s the digital diplomatic cable in full text, with a link back to the WikiLeaks site:More ...

Tags:Wikileaks, China, Bakiyev, Corruption, Manas

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE, is convening for its first summit for 11 years. It’s being held on the first two days in December in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

All 56 OSCE members, from across the northern hemispere are to discuss ways of mutually improving security through fighting terrorism and organised crime, preventing conflicts and promoting democracy and human rights.More ...

Tags:OSCE, Security

Kyrgyzstan president Roza Otunbayeva has expressed her disappointment with the November 3 U.S. Defense Department (DoD) decision to renew its contract with Mina Corp Ltd., which has supplied jet fuel to the U.S. Transit Center Manas in Bishkek for the past six years. The one-year, $315 million contract will allow Mina to supply 96 million gallons of fuel to Manas. The contract can also be extended for another year.More ...

Tags:Manas, US, Security, Corruption

ETG was invited to speak about energy, security and democratic development at a conference, organised by the German Government and FRIDE.

Please find Michael’s speech below:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

At first, I would also like to thank the organizers of today‘s conference here in Bonn for discussing those important questions, dedicated to the relations between the European Union and Central Asia.

When reflecting about the topic of this event, one might think that energy security would be the relevant part the European Union and its member states is interested in, while democratic development is mainly relevant for the future of the Central Asian states, in this case Turkmenistan. But in fact, democratic development is not only important and essential for Turkmenistan itself, it has an impact to stability and security within the whole Eurasian region, with direct consequences for the EU, for the OSCE, for NATO and other institutions.

The relations between the European Union and Turkmenistan are mainly based on establishing an energy dialogue. It can be described as a pragmatic approach, because it differs from the basic principles of the EU Central Asia Strategy, defined under the German Presidency in 2006, whereby the promotion of democracy and the rule of law form the basis for more intense bilateral relations.

However, a number of steps taken by Brussels over the past years seem to indicate that in the case of Turkmenistan, the Union is placing bilateral relations ahead of its ratified commitment to values. More ...

Tags:Energy, Gas, Human Rights, Berdymukhamedov, Niyazov, EU, Nabucco

Getting supplies to Afghanistan may be worth cozying up to Uzbekistan—for now.More ...

Tags:Karimov, US, Security, Afghanistan

Kyrgyzstan's government has demanded that the Pentagon cancel a $630 million (£390 million) contract to supply fuel to the US's Manas airbase because its chosen bidder, Mina Corp, is under investigation by Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies.More ...

Tags:Manas, US, Security, Corruption

The U.S. Defense Department has awarded the Mina Corporation a $315 million jet fuel contract at a key U.S. air force base in Kyrgyzstan, after a congressional investigation stalled the deal.More ...

Tags:US, Security, Corruption, Bakiyev

Following the April revolution in Kyrgyzstan, the nation’s new political leaders were virtually unanimous in one criticism of the United States: “All they care about is that air base.” The charge was validated by the personal testimony of President Akayev’s ambassador to Washington, who negotiated the terms of the air base deal. The Americans used to raise issues of human rights and democracy with us, he wrote. But once the base was in place, that was it. White House advisor Michael McFaul has pushed back, insisting that Washington has always cared about a variety of issues, and that military concerns are only a piece of the agenda.More ...

Tags:US, Security, Corruption, Bakiyev

Two weeks after voters went to the polls in critical parliamentary elections, Kyrgyzstan’s future is still unclear. And regional analysts warn that the outcome of the country’s recent political experiment could echo far beyond the borders of the tiny central Asian state.

Kyrygyzstan remains in limbo. The country’s Central Election Committee has yet to release the final tabulations for the Oct. 10 contest. So far, five parties have crossed a 5 percent threshold to qualify them for the legislature.More ...

In response to a petition filed by Freedom Now and Hogan Lovells LLP (formerly Hogan & Hartson), the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention publicly released its opinion that in arresting and continuing to detain Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khadzhiev, the Government of Turkmenistan is in violation of international law. The opinion calls on the Government of Turkmenistan to release the two human rights advocates.More ...

Tags:Human Rights

Statement by ETG Director Michael Laubsch:

Vienna - Although I am tired of playing a return ball to Dr. Aliyev’s ongoing „op-ed“ war against my person and Eurasian Transition Group, I would like to give a brief comment on his recent blog post. At the same time, let me underline the fact that I am not willing to participate further in a publishing battle with accusations and responds of a fugitive, whose personal reputation is at least doubtable.More ...

Tags:Aliyev, Corruption, Austria