Cablegate: Kazakhstan: Gearing Up Institutionally for Osce

VZCZCXRO1577
OO RUEHIK
DE RUEHTA #1857/01 2890505
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 160505Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6620
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 2040
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1411
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2110
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1057
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2542
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2845
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFAAA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1600
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 1468
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2063

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001857

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/PRM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL OSCE AF RS KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: GEARING UP INSTITUTIONALLY FOR OSCE
CHAIRMANSHIP

REF: A. ASTANA 1843
B. ASTANA 1856

ASTANA 00001857 001.2 OF 002

1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.

2. (SBU) SUMMARY: During lunch on October 15, Doulat Kuanyshev,
Kazakhstan's Ambassador-at-Large for OSCE Issues, described
Kazakhstan's special state commission for the OSCE and again pressed
the Ambassador for an OSCE summit in 2010. END SUMMARY.

3. (SBU) Doulat Kuanyshev, Kazakhstan's Ambassador-at-Large, whose
portfolio includes OSCE Issues, and a former Ambassador to Paris and
Vienna, told the Ambassador on October 15 that he is responsible for
areas within the OSCE with the potential for conflict, especially
the states of the former Yugoslavia (minus Slovenia). At the
moment, he does not have an official OSCE appointment, but
Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister, Kanat Saudabayev, could
institutionalize an OSCE position for him once Kazakhstan assumes
the Chairmanship. Kuanyshev confirmed Kazakhstan plans to appoint
the current Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO), Bolat Nurgaliev, as the OSCE Special
Representative on Protracted Conflicts once his SCO responsibilities
end January 1, 2010.

4. (SBU) According to Kuanyshev, President Nazarbayev created a
special state commission for the OSCE to coordinate issues during
Kazakhstan's Chairmanship. This inter-agency body, headed by
Foreign Minister Saudabayev, includes the Ministries of Defense,
National Security (KNB), Internal Affairs, Transportation and
Communications, Energy and Mineral Resources, Industry and Trade,
Culture and Information, Environment, Education and Science, and
Health. The Foreign Minister will brief, and Presidential Foreign
Policy Adviser Kairat Sarybai will advise, President Nazarbayev on
guidance provided by the special commission. Security Council
Secretary Marat Tazhin, Prime Minister Karim Masimov, and Head of
the Presidential Administration Aslan Musin will also be involved.
Kuanyshev described the special commission as designed to provide
internally for Kazakhstan "checks and balances, both of institutions
and personalities."

5. (SBU) Kuanyshev predicted Kazakhstan will preserve a "continuity
on OSCE priorities, with a bit more emphasis on topical, pivotal
issues." He said that Saudabayev is especially focused on making
the OSCE relevant internally for Kazakhstan, and "not just on the
external projection of Kazakhstan's image." Continuing Kazakhstan's
push for a summit (ref A), Kuanyshev stated that the OSCE needs an
"event," and equated a successful Chairmanship with a summit. He
pointed to the change in U.S. administrations as a source of
optimism due to its "new, inclusive, participatory style." The
Ambassador replied that both Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister and its
Ambassador to the United States have been pressing this idea, which
the U.S. government is currently examining. Kuanyshev prodded, "The
OSCE is a game where everyone should win." Kuanyshev concluded,
"The OSCE needs a summit. Where and when is not critical for
Kazakhstan."

6. (SBU) On potential summit topics, the Ambassador stated that the
United States does not agree an OSCE summit, should there be one,
should address European security architecture, because the Corfu
process is the appropriate venue for that discussion. Kuanyshev
responded that Kazakhstan understands the U.S. position, but
believes that other potential issues exist on which Kazakhstan could
show leadership, such as Afghanistan or inter-ethnic/inter-religious
tolerance. Kuanyshev commented that the topic of Afghanistan could
show Kazakhstan's "cooperative style, intentions, and its efforts on
Afghanistan in terms of education (ref B)." At the same time, he
said, Kazakhstan is determining how to promote its role on
inter-ethnic and inter-religious issues beyond the "human dimension
basket."

7. (SBU) Kazakhstan hopes to use its Chairmanship to make "Central
Asia more central on the OSCE map -- not as a student, but as a

ASTANA 00001857 002.2 OF 002

player with problems that it could work to solve, like the Aral
Sea," Kuanyshev argued. When the Ambassador replied that some
regional leaders have expressed frustration of years and years of
fruitless seminars and studies, Kuanyshev praised President
Nazarbayev's ability to influence his presidential colleagues
positively, including in Moscow. "Political decisions could
overrule bureaucratic reservations," he claimed. He noted the
regular consultations between Kazakhstani Deputy Foreign Minister
Konstantin Zhigalov and the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister in
charge of OSCE issues, whom he said was currently in Astana for OSCE
discussions.

HOAGLAND

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