Cablegate: Kazakhstan: Ambassador's July 3 Meeting With

VZCZCXRO1469
PP RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTA #2403 1880653
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070653Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY ALMATY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6079
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0227
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 2131
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1608
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS ALMATY 002403

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (J. MUDGE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM MOPS PREL KZ AF
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: AMBASSADOR'S JULY 3 MEETING WITH
SECURITY COUNCIL CHAIR TAZHIN

1. (SBU) Summary: In a July 3 meeting with the Ambassador,
Security Council chair Marat Tazhin responded favorably to a
suggestion that Kazakhstan allocate funds to supplement FMF
funding for the purchase of UH-II helicopters through the
Foreign Military Financing program, stated that Kazakhstan
was looking for ways to assist in the reconstruction of
Afghanistan, and promised to speak with the Procurator
General regarding the latter's tough stance on political
party training. End summary.

2. (SBU) In a July 3 meeting with Security Council chairman
Marat Tazhin, the Ambassador floated the idea of Kazakhstan
allocating funds to supplement U.S. funding provided through
the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program to purchase
UH-II helicopters for use in the Caspian region. In a time
of shrinking U.S. assistance budgets, such co-funding would
be an important sign of Kazakhstan's dedication to the
project, the Ambassador noted. Tazhin indicated that the
idea was workable and promised to discuss it with Defense
Minister Altynbayev. (Note: Deputy Prime Minister Masimov
also responded enthusiastically to the suggestion in a June
28 meeting with the Ambassador. End note.)

3. (SBU) The Ambassador told Tazhin that the U.S. would like
to see Kazakhstan become more involved in Afghanistan,
including through participation in a Provincial
Reconstruction Team (PRT). The July 20-21 conference in
Budapest would be an excellent opportunity to obtain more
detailed information. Tazhin replied that Afghan President
Karzai had asked President Nazarbayev for help with
reconstruction during their recent meeting on the margins of
the June 17 CICA Summit in Almaty. Nazarbayev had ordered
the government to come up with concrete proposals; the MFA
was now working on this.

4. (SBU) Touching briefly on issue of training of political
parties by U.S. NGOs, the Ambassador explained that we had
had an ongoing dialogue with the Procuracy for several years
regarding what types of activities were permissible and what
would be considered "financing" of a political party and
therefore not permissible. In a recent meeting, Procurator
General Tusupbekov had taken a more hard-line position than
before, saying that any type of exchange of information
constituted financing and was therefore illegal. Tusupbekov
had recognized, however, that Kazakhstan welcomed and needed
U.S. assistance in the area of political development and had
suggested that the U.S. raise the issue with the Presidential
Administration. Tazhin said that he would ask Tusupbekov why
he was taking such a tough stance on this issue now.
ORDWAY

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