US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE1746

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001746 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CACEN, SA, EAP, EB 
NSC FOR MERKEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, ECON, ETRD, ELAB, KDEM, JA, IN, AF, UZ, TI 
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN:  JAPANESE CHARGE:  "TOKYO LOOKING FOR NEW IDEAS 
FOR CENTRAL ASIA" 
 
 
1.  (SBU) New Japanese Charge d'affaires Hiroshi Takahashi 
called on the Ambassador on October 26.  Unlike his, Takahashi 
is energetic and brimming with ideas based on his extensive 
experience in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. 
 
2.  (U) Takahashi noted his government established the "Japan 
Plus Central Asia Forum" in 2004, but has done relatively little 
to energize it.  Tokyo is now ready to move again and has asked 
for new ideas. 
 
3.  (SBU) Takahashi said Japan supports the U.S. and EU 
positions on the Andijon events in Uzbekistan but so far seems 
to be under Tashkent's radar.  As soon as Tashkent figures out 
Tokyo's position, Takahashi predicts it will be harder for Japan 
to do any business in Uzbekistan.  Takahashi recommends that 
Japan concentrate on relations and development projects with 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and, especially Tajikistan. 
 
4.  (SBU) Takahashi judges Tajikistan is pivotal in Central Asia 
because of Afghanistan.   He sees two possible initiatives that 
would help build Tajik-Afghan ties.  He will suggest that Tokyo 
encourage the creation of a "binational free-trade dry port" at 
the site of the new Tajik-Afghan bridge at Nizhniy Pyanzh.  He 
pointed out that Afghans have traditionally been great traders, 
and a free-port trade zone between Tajikistan and Afghanistan 
could help stimulate economic development in the region. 
 
5.  (SBU) Takahashi said he would like to see Tajik migrant 
laborers turn from Russia to Afghanistan, especially as large 
infrastructure construction projects take off in Afghanistan. 
He noted they would be closer to home, share a common language, 
and be treated better than in Russia.  He added he would like to 
see Japan, the United States, and the European Union do much 
more to encourage Tajik companies to participate in Afghan 
reconstruction.  He said he knew the United States had once 
pushed this for Uzbekistan but, he alleged, President Karimov 
had undercut this initiative because he did not want Uzbek 
companies prospering abroad where he feared they might be beyond 
his control. 
 
6.  (SBU) The Ambassador noted that India, too, may be looking 
for greater involvement in Central Asia, and encouraged Tokyo 
and New Delhi to consider consulting how to promote economic and 
democratic development in the region.  He noted that as "eastern 
democracies," both Japan and India would be especially 
well-placed to support Western efforts to promote democratic 
development.  Their participation would help to counter those 
among the old guard in Tajikistan who protest that democracy is 
a Western export inappropriate for Asian countries. 
 
 
HOAGLAND 
 
 
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