Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Central Asia
1. The Committee have requested a memorandum
of supplementary evidence on Central Asia. The Committee's Sixth
Report, Session 1998-99, on South Caucasus and Central Asia, considered
a wide range of issues including regional security, the role of
multilateral organisations, economic prospects and British commercial
interests, human rights and good governance, and the way in which
the Government delivered its objectives. An FCO response was published
in the Committee's First Special Report, Session 2000-2001, in
January 2001. This memorandum focuses on developments in Central
Asia and the Government's response since then, including in the
context of the Afghan crisis.
2. The response of the five Central Asian
states to the events of 11 September and the crisis in Afghanistan
has underlined the importance and relevance of the UK's relationship
with those countries and the region to wider foreign policy goals.
The Central Asian states all immediately condemned the attacks
in the US and all subsequently extended political support to the
coalition in the fight against terrorism. All granted overflight
rights for humanitarian payloads. Three—Uzbekistan, Tajikistan
and Turkmenistan—border Afghanistan and are playing important
roles in assisting with humanitarian operations. Uzbekistan has
offered facilities for search and rescue operations. Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have offered facilities for the support
of military operations. In the short term, this continued co-operation
makes a significant contribution to the military and emergency
assistance effort.
3. Central Asian support and engagement
will also be required for the longer-term task of political stabilisation
and reconstruction in Afghanistan, to which regional stability
and economic growth is directly relevant. Discussion with the
Central Asians on Afghanistan was underway before 11 September.
The Government invited the Central Asian countries to participate
in the Weston Park Conference on Afghanistan in July 2001 and
the Foreign Secretary subsequently discussed Afghanistan with
the Ministers who attended from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
4. The Central Asian countries clearly stand
to gain from a settlement in Afghanistan, which has long exported
instability to the region including in the form of militant fighters,
drugs and illegal migration. Besides the reduction of these threats,
some like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan hope to see new trade and
pipeline routes through a stable Afghanistan in future. They also
see opportunities for improved relationships with Western coalition
partners.
5. But while the Afghan crisis has raised
the profile of Central Asia, the government does not believe that
engagement with the Central Asian countries should be conducted
primarily through the prism of Afghanistan. Although Afghanistan
has been the main external threat to stability in Central Asia,
the stabilisation process has been slowed by other, internal factors:
insufficient progress on political and economic reform, weak civil
society and poor human rights performance, increasing poverty
and debt, corruption, environmental degradation and lack of effective
intra-regional co-operation. In engaging on these issues the Government
recognises that the countries of Central Asia, while sharing a
common Soviet heritage, are different from each other and at different
levels of development, and so require differentiated responses.
But underlying the various bilateral relationships, the government
has a common aim of encouraging the development of better governance
and economic management, and regional co-operation based on economic
interdependence. The Government seeks the reduction of poverty
and the tackling of terrorism and the conditions which enable
terrorists to recruit and win support, while avoiding the general
repression which loses the middle ground. The overall goal is
prosperity, bolstered by foreign investment, and stability for
each of these countries and the region as a whole.
6. The Government recognises that it cannot
pursue these objectives alone, and that there are no quick fixes.
It therefore seeks greater co-ordination with EU, US, international
financial institutions and other partners, is pressing for more
collaboration between the multilateral organisations, and is engaging
in a constructive dialogue with the region's neighbours. It seeks
to promote a shared analysis and a common, long-term approach.
In particular the new and more constructive relationship with
Russia post-11 September provides a unique opportunity for better
co-operation in the region. Within the EU the Government supported
conclusions to the General Affairs Council on 10 December 2001
affirming a long-term EU commitment to Central Asia, and agreeing
to focus assistance on poverty and political repression as causes
of extremism and political instability and to promote regional
co-operation.
REGIONAL SECURITY
7. Significant armed incursions into Central
Asia by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) such as occurred
in 1999/2000, were less evident in 2001. The reasons are unclear.
The IMU may have been concentrating their efforts in Afghanistan,
fighting alongside the Taleban. The Central Asian states were
also better prepared to meet the threat, through their co-operation
in the CIS Collective Security Treaty and the Shanghai Co-operation
Organisation. The recent military action in Afghanistan has weakened
the IMU. But it is too soon to conclude it is finished, either
as a political movement, or fighting force. It retains sympathisers
in Tajikistan as well as in Uzbekistan itself.
8. External security threats are unlikely
to disappear. The Government has been discussing with Uzbekistan
what self-defence assistance we can offer consistent with our
human rights concerns; the Government has also been discussing
training requirements for the Kyrgyz armed forces. The Secretary
of State for Defence visited Tashkent in November and discussed
Afghan and regional security issues with President Karimov. A
regional Defence Attaché was appointed to Almaty, Kazakhstan,
in July 2001, covering Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and a Defence
Attaché will be appointed to Tashkent in the next few months.
Pending that a temporary Defence Attaché will be in place
in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in January 2002. Defence matters in Turkmenistan
will continue to be covered by the Defence Attaché in Moscow.
Under its Peacekeeping English Projects the British Council is
providing English language training to military staff in Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.
9. In parallel, the Government continues
to urge the countries of the region to distinguish between genuine
terrorism and political dissent, including radical but non-violent
expression of Islamic views.
10. The Central Asian countries have rising
domestic drug demand fed by Afghan heroin. Owing to porous borders
where controls are inadequate, they are becoming an increasingly
important transit route for heroin going to Russia. The direct
threat to the UK remains potential rather than, so far, proven.
But the Government is developing links with the Central Asians
to help them combat drugs trafficking through the region. A regional
Drugs Liaison Officer was appointed to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan,
in September 2001: another is planned for Tashkent from summer
2002. The FCO is providing £490,000 of anti-drugs assistance
to the Central Asian States, including £240,000 for a search
facility at Kushka on the Turkmen-Afghan border.
11. The Government is also using the Global
Conflict Prevention Fund (administered jointly by the FCO, MOD
and DfID) to address potential flashpoints in the region. In 2001
this has funded a programme to resettle former fighters into civilian
life in Tajikistan, where the post-civil war political consensus
continues to be extremely fragile; a micro-credit scheme for women's
groups in the Ferghana Valley, to encourage a bottom-up approach
to poverty alleviation in this densely populated region of high
unemployment; and training and technical support for the judiciary
in Uzbekistan, to encourage greater professionalism. It is planned
to increase conflict prevention activities in Central Asia, including
programmes aimed at reducing ethnic and religious tensions, promoting
democratic reform and finding peaceful solutions to disputes over
territory and resources, including water. Specific projects proposed
include further training for the judiciary, training for independent
media, refugee resettlement programmes, and advice and training
on boundary delimitation and watercourse law.
12. On regional co-operation, the Government
welcomes the constructive role of the CIS Collective Security
Treaty and the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation. It will be
discussing with partners how to develop the dialogue on regional
security issues with members of these organisations, to include
non-military responses to regional security. The Government continues
strongly to support the work of the OSCE, including on regional
security co-operation. The UK part-funded, and attended at senior
level, the OSCE December 2001 Bishkek Conference on Strengthening
Comprehensive Efforts to Combat International Terrorism.
13. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are parties
to Vienna Document 99—an OSCE confidence and security building
measure which promotes transparency, stability and openness in
military activity. The UK Joint Arms Control Implementation Group
(JACIG) provided in-country arms control training to Kazakhstan
in 2001, and Kazakh and Kyrgyz arms controllers participated in
UK-based arms control training in December 2001.
14. Central Asia's size, geographical position,
and Soviet legacy gives rise to risks not only from drugs but
also from smuggling of weapons and lethal materials, including
nuclear materials. In his Mansion House speech of 12 November
2001 the Prime Minister proposed an initiative to combat the proliferation
of sensitive nuclear, chemical and biological materials through
`the region. The General Affairs Council Conclusions of 10 December
2001 included at UK initiative support for regional border security
and non-proliferation.
HUMAN RIGHTS
AND GOOD
GOVERNANCE
15. The Government believes that good security
in Central Asia is a function of good governance, inclusive political
systems, measures to address poverty and a proper respect for
human rights. It supports the efforts of the OSCE to bring together
the human rights, security and economic dimensions of its work
in Central Asia. It ensured that the recent EC Commission review
of its assistance to Central Asia resulted in a focus on good
government and poverty alleviation. With UK support the EU has
also agreed to resume its Tacis technical assistance programme
in Tajikistan. The Commission is considering increasing Tacis
assistance to the region.
16. The Government has regularly raised
specific human rights concerns with the Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Turkmen
governments, including prisoner cases. It has raised proposed
new, restrictive media and religious registration laws in Kazakhstan.
It will continue to press for compliance with key UN and ILO human
rights instruments, for Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to abolish the
death penalty, and for Kyrgyzstan to move from a moratorium to
abolition. Human rights and governance issues have also been raised
in the regular EU dialogue with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
There continues to be little prospect of the UK ratifying the
EU Partnership and Co-operation Agreement with Turkmenistan, because
of human rights concerns. (There is as yet no negotiated PCA with
Tajikistan).
17. While Central Asian states cannot be
members of the Council of Europe, the government would like to
encourage them to follow the example of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
in becoming observers of the CoE's European Commission for democracy
through law (Venice Commission), which advises on constitutional
and legal questions and promotes legal standards compatible with
European values. The government will also encourage Central Asian
states to bring local practices into line with the CoE's human
rights legal instruments which are open to non-member states and,
in due course, to commit themselves to such agreements as the
Convention for the prevention of torture.
18. The Government encourages contact between
the UK Parliament and parliamentary institutions in the region,
and welcomes the establishment and activities of All-Party Parliamentary
groups. A high-level Kyrgyz Parliamentary group visited the UK
in February 2001 under the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary
Union, and had discussions with the FCO Minister for State, the
Minister for the Armed Forces and the Minister for International
Development.
19. The British Council is expanding its
operations in Central Asia, with a planned budget increase from
£700,000 to £1.5m in the period to 2005/6. This will
enable the Council to reach wider, younger audiences (while still
engaging with the authorities), to increase e-services and expand
core activities in the education and information sectors, arts,
science, English language and governance. The Council moved into
new offices in Almaty in 2000 and plans a presence in Astana from
2004. It is helping to establish a new Kazakh British Technical
University, which will strengthen Kazakhstan's expertise in infrastructure
and economic reform. The Council currently manages programmes
in Kyrgyzstan from its Almaty office but is bidding for funding
to open an office in Bishkek in 2004/5, following our planned
opening of an Embassy there.
20. In Uzbekistan the British Council is
working in partnership with the Uzbek government to create employment
opportunities for young people through improvement in education
and English language skills, and addressing institutional and
policy reform, the development of more participative and open
society and access to information. Assistance with education reform
is a key area for the Council in Uzbekistan. Effective management
of the Uzbek Umid scholarship programme has meant that the majority
of Uzbek government funded overseas scholars are now being sent
to the UK. The Council is facilitating a new Uzbek International
University project, planned to open in 2002. The Council manages
a limited level of activity in Turkmenistan. The Council has no
current activity in Tajikistan but following the opening of the
Embassy there will investigate the opportunities for engagement.
The Council is supporting NGOs in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with
a particular focus on violence against women, where the Council
has been a pioneer in bringing the issue into the public domain
and supporting the development of legislation and crisis centres.
21. DfID's programme in the region is targeted
on poverty elimination, with a focus on governance issues, improving
the livelihoods of the poorest and their access to essential services
such as water and healthcare. DfID is stepping up its engagement
in Central Asia, focussing on Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
where poverty is extensive. It supports Government-led poverty
reduction strategies in close partnership with the rest of the
international community, particularly the IFIs. DfID are supporting
a World Bank/IMF conference in March 2002 to look at the particular
development challenges facing the poorer countries in Central
Asia and the rest of the FSU, and to work out the best approaches
to resolving them. Issues such as debt and governance reform will
be discussed.
ECONOMIC AND
TRADE ISSUES
22. The equitable and sustainable exploitation
of the region's resources and the development of open, strong,
broad-based economies are also an essential component of regional
security and stability, and a prerequisite for an improved quality
of life for the people of the region. UK companies are playing
an important role through large-scale investment, notably but
not only in the energy sector, and increasingly through partnerships
helping to build local capacity. But corruption, inadequate legal
safeguards for investors, and deficient macro-economic reform
are continuing to act as a brake on economic development and inward
investment.
23. The Government therefore believes that
fostering an investor-friendly environment is a key task for economic
reform in the region. Only diversified investment (ie not just
energy sector) will allow the region to develop its full economic
potential. Nor can this potential be fully realised without greater
co-operation across borders, which in turn requires a more regional
perspective from the countries concerned, and responsible leadership
from the strongest.
24. The Government has pressed the Kazakh
authorities to honour existing production sharing agreements,
and to develop greater transparency in dealing with investors.
It has urged the Uzbek government to speed up economic reform,
including moving to full currency convertibility. It has also
ensured that investment and economic conditions have featured
strongly in the regular dialogues under the EU Partnership and
Co-operation Agreements. Trade Partners UK are giving Central
Asian markets greater priority, with potentially more resources
for supporting new business opportunities.
25. The Government has continued to develop
its dialogue with the EBRD on Central Asia. The EBRD remains committed
to expanding its activities in the region, in support of economic
and political reform and consistent with its Article I obligations.
In Turkmenistan the UK fully support's EBRD's decision to suspend
new activity pending Turkmen progress on its Article I commitments.
DELIVERING THE
GOVERNMENT'S
OBJECTIVES
26. In addition to the appointments of Defence
Attaches and Drugs Liaison Officers (detailed in paragraphs 8
and 10) the UK opened an Embassy in Dushanbe on 20 December 2001.
Inter alia this will work on Afghanistan, where Tajikistan as
a front line state has a significant role, on regional co-operation
and security, and on political and economic reform in Tajikistan
including UK assistance. We plan to open a full Embassy in Bishkek,
Kyrgyzstan in 2003. We intend to establish a UK diplomatic presence
in Bishkek in 2002, with the posting there of a Diplomatic Service
Officer who would work to set up the Mission and establish a range
of contacts with the Kyrgyz authorities. The Embassies in Almaty
and Tashkent, which currently cover Kyrgyz and Tajik issues, should
thus be able to redeploy some resources. Almaty will also get
an additional officer.
27. Whitehall Departments are taking a joined-up
approach to Central Asia. An inter-departmental Whitehall Steering
Group on Central Asia has been established, to oversee a rolling
programme of action in specific areas.
28. The government will continue to look
for opportunities for ministerial and senior official visits to
the region, and for other ministerial contact with the governments
of the region. In addition to the visit to Tashkent by the Secretary
of State for Defence in November, the Kazakh and Tajik Foreign
Ministers and Kyrgyz Deputy Foreign Minister met the Foreign Secretary
and Mr Hain in July 2001 in London, the Uzbek Foreign Minister
met the Foreign Secretary at UNGA in November 2001, and the Kazakh
and Kyrgyz Foreign Ministers met Dr MacShane at the OSCE Ministerial
in December 2001. The Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister met the Deputy
Prime Minister in London in July 2001. Further Ministerial contacts
in 2002 are planned.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
16 January 2002
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