KAZAKHSTAN: EUR DAS KENNEDY'S MEETING WITH FM

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALMATY 000538

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN (JMUDGE),DRL/PHD (PDAVIES)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2015
TAGS: KZ PGOV PHUM PREL POLITICAL
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: EUR DAS KENNEDY'S MEETING WITH FM
TOKAYEV

REF: A. ALMATY 347


B. ALMATY 342

Classified By: Ambassador John Ordway, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) Summary: Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart
Tokayev hosted a working lunch on February 4 for EUR DAS
Kennedy, accompanied by Ambassador Ordway. Tokayev's
comments after the recent flurry of law enforcement visits to
USAID implementing partners tracked with those of other
senior Kazakhstani officials -- Soros is welcome but
democracy NGOs remain suspect. Like other highly placed
figures, the FM also described the legal action against
political party Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DCK) as not
"final." DAS Kennedy warned that the uncertain status of
certification could jeopardize IMET training. Tokayev
pledged continued support for the OSCE budget. Recent
Caspian delimitation talks and relations with Russia were
also discussed. End Summary.

Soros and NGOs
--------------


2. (C) FM Tokayev hosted a working lunch for DAS Kennedy
which was attended by Deputy FM Aleksey Volkov, MFA Americas
Office Director Jandos Asanov, and Astana PO. DAS Kennedy
reaffirmed U.S. interest in maintaining a broad and deep
relationship with Kazakhstan. However, the criminal
investigation of the Soros Foundation and the law enforcement
raids on democracy NGO offices had recently consumed
substantial time and attention. NGOs with U.S. funding, DAS
Kennedy emphasized, were expressly prohibited from funding
political parties.


3. (C) FM Tokayev denied that a political motive was at work
in the Soros case. As for the NGOs, Astana had questions
about these organizations and their activities, especially
NDI. Ambassador explained that NDI Kazakhstan had not funded
the travel of local students to Ukraine in December. NDI's
interest, he continued, had merely been to provide the
experience of election observing to the students. The
Embassy, he added, had sent a letter to MFA with these and
other details.

No Orange Revolution Here
--------------


4. (C) Unlike Uzbekistan's President Karimov, the FM
maintained that Astana is confident that the Orange
Revolution is unlikely to be replicated in Kazakhstan.
President Nazarbayev, he said, is committed to political
reform and bringing the central executive power into balance
with the other branches and levels of government.
Nazarbayev's vision included direct elections of local akims
and greater responsibility at the district level. Stability,
however, will remain the core guiding principle of the
country's reform program.

DCK Case Not "Final"
--------------


5. (C) Echoing recent comments of other senior officials
(reftels),Tokayev said that the court action to "liquidate"
opposition party DCK was not "final." He cautioned, however,
that the case had a strong legal basis and should not be
politicized. The FM argued that Kazakhstan's record on
respect for democracy was still high and that the country was
moving in the right direction. The pace and the path of
reform, though, would be dictated by Kazakhstan's needs.


6. (C) DAS Kennedy hoped that a less drastic approach than
liquidation could be found. Ambassador observed that DCK had
a following and the party's continued existence provided an
important outlet for this constituency.

Certification
--------------


7. (C) DAS Kennedy briefed Tokayev on the state of play over
this year's certification process and the danger that IMET
training could be disrupted -- an outcome she wanted to
avoid. The FM responded that he needed to consult within the
government. He expressed concern that a decision not to
certify could create the "wrong" political impression.

Support for the OSCE Budget
--------------


8. (C) DAS Kennedy welcomed Kazakhstan's aspirations to lead
the OSCE. At the same time she emphasized the importance of
demonstrating commitment to all OSCE principles and to its


institutions. The attack on the OSCE's budget had threatened
to gut the organization. Tokayev assured her that despite
Kazakhstan's criticism of the OSCE, there was no question of
jeopardizing the OSCE's budget. Astana's attitude toward the
OSCE was positive overall. Kazakhstan would match last
year's $800,000 contribution with a $1 million payment in

2005.

Caspian De-limitation
--------------


9. (C) Tokayev reported that Kazakhstan's bilateral
negotiations at the recent Caspian delimitation talks,
particularly with Russia, were moving in the right direction.
Russia, he said, finally seemed to recognize that the
boundary could not simply be drawn down the middle of the
Caspian. Turkmenistan and Iran, however, continued to play
the spoilers on the multi-lateral negotiations.

Russia
--------------


10. (C) Ambassador asked where policy authority on CIS
countries rested in Moscow. The FM remarked that power on
these issues had shifted to the presidential administration
to a degree not seen during the Yeltsin years. Tokayev
relayed the pessimism of Chairman of the CIS Executive
Committee Vladimir Rushaylo, who had told the FM that the CIS
was in great danger of dissolving. Such an event, Tokayev
commented, would be seen as a major policy failure on Putin's
watch.


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