VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHAK #1789/01 1940710
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130710Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO AMEMBASSY ZAGREB PRIORITY 0181
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001789
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR CHIEFS OF MISSION FROM AMBASSADOR WILSON
PARIS ALSO FOR OECD
E FOR U/S JEFFREY AND GREGORY MANUEL
EEB FOR A/S SULLIVAN
EUR FOR DAS BRYZA
SCA FOR PDAS MANN
DEPT PASS TDA FOR DAN STEIN
DEPT PASS DOE FOR A/S HARBERT
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET ENRG TU
SUBJECT: REGIONAL ENERGY COM CONFERENCE, SEPTEMBER 20-22 IN
ISTANBUL
REF: WILSON/COM EMAIL 7/10/07
Dear Colleagues,
1. (SBU) As discussed in ref email to many of you and based
on the widespread interest among chiefs of mission in the
area, Mission Turkey proposes to host a Regional Energy COM
Conference in Istanbul on September 20-22, 2007. Its purpose
will be to consider our Caspian energy strategy and how we
can work most effectively together to advance US goals in
this area.
2. (SBU) Russia's recent energy (and energetic) diplomacy
reinforces the need for a well-coordinated and effective US
diplomacy on behalf of energy security in Europe, the
development of Caspian Basin energy resources, and diverse
and competitive infrastructure to get those resources to the
international marketplace. Highly productive US diplomacy on
Caspian energy in the 1990s and first part of this decade
primarily involved work with a limited set of producer and
transit countries and companies. Success in the next stages
of our Caspian energy strategy -- especially regarding gas
and European energy security -- requires a much broader range
of producer, transit and consumer countries, companies and
other players. Coordination and collaboration with
Washington and among US missions in Central Asia, the
Caucasus, and various parts of Europe will be essential.
September should be an opportune time to take stock, review
our key requirements and perspectives, and engage with one
another and key Washington players on a common regional
energy agenda and plan of action.
3. (SBU) Agenda: EEB A/S Sullivan recently circulated to
many of us a Caspian Energy Strategy paper, and it should
provide a good basis and starting point for our discussions.
Among specific agenda items are the following.
-- Gas supplies and key, relevant political constraints in
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Iraq;
what is the US doing and what should we do.
-- Gas demand and the politics of consumer countries; how can
the US shape demand and political factors to support our
Caspian Basin strategy.
-- Gas transit: current and planned/possible pipelines, key
political and commercial issues, transit and other framework
agreements; US role, EU role.
-- Regional cooperation on gas distribution and storage.
-- Current oil supply and transit issues, including CPC,
trans-Caspian shipping, Bosporus bypasses; US strategy.
-- Russian energy acquisitions and strategy; how these relate
to US and regional priorities; what should be our approach.
-- Other factors: commercial issues, EU role, Iran, China,
etc.
Your suggestions on the agenda and organization of the
discussion will be very helpful over the coming weeks as we
put this event together.
4. (SBU) Attendees: This conference is intended for regional
chiefs of mission and key Washington players. Addressee
posts include Caspian producer, transit and Nabucco/TGI
countries. We have also included key European capitals and
Baghdad, given Iraq's potential role in support of US energy
security and other goals. If posts and/or Washington
agencies have suggestions of others in the field or in the US
who ought to be included, please advise. We recognize that
some chiefs of mission may be unable to attend. Decisions on
alternates and additional invitees will depend on the overall
numbers. To ensure productive discussions, we plan on no
more than about 30 participants.
5. (SBU) Schedule: Participants should plan to arrive in
Istanbul by no later than about 6:00pm. on Thursday,
September 20. Our notional schedule is as follows:
-- Thursday, September 20: 7:00pm Welcoming dinner hb Consul
General
ANKARA 00001789 002 OF 002
-- Friday, September 21: COM conference 9:00am to 5:00pm,
with a working lunch at mid-day.
-- Saturday, September 22: COM conference closing session
approximately 9am-12 noon.
Participants should be free from mid-day Saturday, September
22, for personal activities in Istanbul, any smaller group
meetings that may be appropriate, etc. Congen Istanbul is
blocking rooms now for Thursday night through Sunday.
Accommodations will be sufficient for those who may wish to
bring spouses.
6. (SBU) Action: Overseas posts and Washington invitees are
requested to advise on attendance as soon as possible, but no
later than August 24. Post will provide more detailed
information on the program, schedule accommodations, etc., by
early September. Embassy Ankara action officers are:
through July 31, Michael Mauel, e-mail MauelME@state.gov,
telephone 90-312-457-7068; after July 31, Dale Eppler, e-mail
EpplerDB@state.gov, telephone 90-312-457-7058. Consulate
Istanbul POC for lodging and admin support is Elaine Taylor,
e-mail TaylorEB@state.gov, telephone 90-212-335-9000 ext.
9164.
7. (U) Best regards, and I look forward to seeing you in
Istanbul in September. Ross Wilson
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/
WILSON