US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE1793

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001793 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR MERKEL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/9/2015 
TAGS: PREL, ECON, PGOV, EAID, KDEM, PHUM, TI 
SUBJECT: EU SWIMMING IN THE SAME MOLASSES IN TAJIKISTAN 
 
REF: A)  DUSHANBE 1729  B)  DUSHANBE 1762  C) DUSHANBE 1766 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Hoagland, Ambassador, US Embassy 
Dushanbe, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
1.  (C)  In a meeting with the European Commission, Muzaffar 
Isakov, Director of the Aid Coordination Unit of the President 
of Tajikistan, suggested that while EC experts and consultants 
would continue to receive visas for Tajikistan, international 
NGO workers were less welcome.  Barbara Plinkert, Chargi d' 
affaires for the European Commission briefed Poloff November 6 
about her meeting to discuss EC-financed NGO problems obtaining 
and renewing visas, and a new $7 fee for invitation letters from 
the MFA's Consular Department.  Isakov suggested the Europeans 
shift their support from humanitarian assistance to economic 
development.  (The same message we heard from Foreign Minister 
Nazarov reported reftel B.)  Isakov was pleased with the 
technical assistance on certain issues, but saw little need for 
continued civil society projects.  He also asked Plinkert to 
provide more information, possibly quarterly reports, about the 
organizations and projects they were funding. 
 
2.  (C)  Plinkert reminded Isakov that all personnel working on 
EC-financed projects are entitled to visas under an assistance 
agreement signed in 1994.  Article 10 specifically stipulates 
that "The Government shall grant personnel taking part in 
services contracts financed by the (European) Community, and 
members of the their family, as defined in Article 9, multiple 
entry visas and appropriate visa extensions to be issued in the 
republic of Tajikistan." 
 
3.  (C)  In a November 3 letter signed by Adrian van der Meer, 
Head of Delegation, the Europeans firmly reminded the Tajiks of 
the conditions.  "Up to now the Delegation of the European 
Commission to Tajikistan has assisted the Government in applying 
for visa (sic) for international experts and consultants. With 
the new fees imposed and delays experienced, this arrangement 
appears no longer practicable.  In order to avoid further 
misunderstandings I would request that, in future, the 
Government take full responsibility for the issuance of visa in 
compliance with Article 10." 
 
4.  (C)  Plinkert suggested that since the EC and USG fund 
similar projects, and often partner with the same NGOs, the 
missions in Tajikistan coordinate their approach to the growing 
visa difficulties.  She accepted Poloff's invitation to an NGO 
roundtable later in the month, possibly with Tajik officials, to 
better understand the changing climate and develop a strategy to 
work with the Tajiks to ensure established projects can continue. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT: In an unusually coordinated effort, the Tajiks 
are sending a strong message to the donor community: we want 
your money, but not your NGOs.  As the goalposts continue to 
shift, post will work with other donors and NGOs to comply with 
the system so as to continue the critical democracy and civil 
society work. 
 
6.  (C)  COMMENT CONTINUED:  Post has also heard rumors that the 
Head of the Consular Department, Bakhrom Kholnozarov, believed 
to be a Rahmonov relative, has been profiting greatly from his 
position from additional fees and bribes (Reftel c).  This is 
the first we've heard of a new fee for invitation letters, but 
the motives may be less anti-NGO and more old-fashioned 
corruption.  END COMMENT. 
 
HOAGLAND 
 
 
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