EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ALMATY 001664 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, ACUMMINGS DEPT FOR EUR/ACE RBUCK DEPT FOR SCA/CEN JMUDGE CBP/INA FOR BWATT AND CDONOFRIO USDOE/NNSA TPERRY, CWALKER, EDESCHLER DOC FOR DCREED AND PETERSON-BEARD USCG FOR CWILSON AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE FOR EXBS ADVISORS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KZ SUBJECT: EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE (APRIL 2006) ¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: ¶1. The paper shredder at the Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance (EXBS) Program office has been working overtime of late. May 2006 will be the office's last full month in Kazakhstan's "southern capital" of Almaty and over the last weekend in June EXBS Kazakhstan will relocate hundreds of miles across the steppe to the Astana Embassy Branch Office (EBO). The office will remain at the EBO until it relocates once again in early September 2006, when the New Embassy Compound is scheduled to open. ¶2. EXBS Kazakhstan has spent considerable time this month grappling with and eventually overcoming bureaucratic hurdles related to the delivery of the three Safe Boats. The arrangements for next month's boat turnover ceremony in Aktau also required substantial time, as did preparations for next month's regional export control forum in Tbilisi, and upcoming National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) events. II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED ¶1. April 17 - EXBS Advisor Offenbacher attended an introductory meeting with two representatives of the "Garant Methodological Center," Commonwealth Trading Partners' (CTP) new subcontractor for its Product Identification Tool and Administrative Enforcement projects in Kazakhstan. "Garant" Director Galym Berkinbayev and Project Manager Bauyzhan Namazov spoke about their company's history and current activities and shared ideas about how to move the two CTP projects forward. They both concurred that a letter introducing their company to the appropriate ministries in Astana should help move the two projects forward. EXBS Kazakhstan is working with CTP to ensure that the letters of introduction are delivered. ¶2. April 23 - Advisor Offenbacher met with several NNSA travelers while they were in Almaty on their way to Bishkek to conduct a WMD Commodity Identification Training course. The group discussed the International Nonproliferation Export Control Program's (INECP) upcoming events in Kazakhstan planned for May (in Kyzylorda) and June (in Astana). ¶3. April 28-30 - EXBS Advisor traveled to Aktau to assist with the final stage of the Safe Boat delivery, meet with representatives of the Border Service's Maritime Division, and lay the groundwork for the mid-May Safe Boat turnover ceremony. Advisor Offenbacher accompanied Rodney Patton of U.S. Coast Guard's Deepwater International and EXBS Regional Maritime Advisor Mike Taffe all three days to complete the delivery and discuss maintenance options for both the Sea Ark boat and Safe Boats. Maritime Border Guard Commander Kenzhemergen Abikeyev, Captain Yerlik Smagulov and Lieutenant Commander Kirill Ivanov had large number of specific questions about the Safe Boats that the team did their best to answer. Commander Abikeyev agreed to a follow-on meeting with a local contractor at a later date to discuss the terms of the maintenance contract in more detail. ¶B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ALMATY 00001664 002 OF 003 ¶1. April 24-28 - Gulnara Abildaeva, EXBS Program Coordinator, attended two back-to-back trainings in Stockholm, Sweden on administering grants and cooperative agreements. ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. SAFE BOAT DELIVERY - In mid-April, more than one month after their arrival in Aktau, the three 42-foot fast response boats were granted customs clearance. The EXBS office worked with the Port of Aktau, the Customs Control Committee in Astana and Aktau Regional Customs office, Kazakhstan's Border Service and other Kazakhstani governmental agencies to obtain the release of the boats. Post's support was instrumental in obtaining the positive outcome. Both the Department's and the U.S. Coast Guard's assistance and patience are most appreciated. On April 28 the boats were lowered into the water by crane at the Port of Aktau. The following day a container with spare parts and three boat trailers were delivered to the Maritime Border Guard base in Bautino. Although there was some minor damage to the boats that occurred during transport, none of the problems degraded the vessels' seaworthiness. The transportation service provider will ensure that the damaged parts of the boat are repaired. ¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE ¶1. CENTRAL ASIA AND CAUCASUS REGIONAL FORUM ON EXPORT CONTROL - Kazakhstan will send six delegates to the U.S. Department of Commerce's May 16-18 regional event in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Center for Nonproliferation Studies NIS Representative Office's Director Dauren Aben, a Kazakhstani, will also travel to attend the forum. ¶2. TRACKER - The Department employees managing the Tracker (license processing software) program will meet with Kazakhstani export control officials at the May Tbilisi Export Control Forum to gauge Kazakhstan's interest in the program. In anticipation of the meeting this office has forwarded a questionnaire to the Ministry of Industry and Trade to provide the Tracker team with information on the ministry's IT infrastructure and licensing process. ¶3. SAFE BOAT CEMEMONY - A turnover ceremony for the boats will be held the morning of May 18 in Aktau. EXBS Advisor Offenbacher is the Control Officer for the twenty four-hour schedule. Other events planned for the Aktau trip include a tour of the decommissioned BN-350 nuclear reactor and a press conference at the city's Naval Institute. ¶4. INTERNAL COMPLIANCE WORKSHOP - NNSA INECP representatives will participate in this internal compliance outreach event for South Kazakhstan and Kyzylorda oblast uranium producers from May 23-25 in Kyzylorda. ¶5. NUCLEAR SMUGGLING INITIATIVE, PART II - The State Department's Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction within the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation is spearheading this interagency effort. An as yet unconfirmed date of May 25 has been set for a follow-on meeting to February's US-Kazakhstani talks on combating nuclear smuggling. EXBS Kazakhstan intends to participate ALMATY 00001664 003 OF 003 in the talks. The issue of nuclear smuggling is likely to receive heightened attention in the coming months if -- as now appears likely -- the Second Line of Defense Implementing Agreement is signed by Kazakhstan. ¶6. X-RAY FLUORESENCE UNITS - On June 14-15, the NNSA's INECP will conduct a course on XRF metal analyzers for Kazakhstani customs inspectors and instructors. XRF units can be used to analyze metals and alloys to help determine whether they have a strategic use. The training will be taught by experts from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and will be held in Astana. Three XRF units will be transferred to Kazakhstan's Customs Control Committee upon the conclusion of the training. ¶7. END-USE/END-USER ANALYSIS WORKSHOP - The NNSA's INECP will hold this workshop for export control licensing officials in Astana on June 15-16. ¶8. INTERNATIONAL BORDER INTERDICTION TRAINING (IBIT 1) - EXBS Kazakhstan received eight names from the Border Guard Service (including three instructors from the Military Academy's Border Control Faculty),but is still waiting for Customs to provide their list of participants to attend the July training in Texas and New Mexico. ¶9. SPARE PARTS FOR SEA ARK BOAT - The parts should arrive in Aktau in early May. Mike Taffe of EXBS Baku is working to identify a vendor who can perform diagnostic tests and conduct maintenance on the Sea Ark vessel. ¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY ¶1. None. ¶F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION ¶1. EXBS Kazakhstan corresponds and coordinates with representatives of CENTCOM counter-narcotics and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's WMD Proliferation Prevention Initiative on their engagement with Kazakhstan's maritime forces. Please also see sections A (paragraph 3),C (paragraph 1),and D (paragraphs 3 and 9) above. III. RED FLAG ISSUES. None. The point of contact for this report is Andrew S. Offenbacher, EXBS Advisor, OffenbacherAS@state.gov, tel: +7(3272)504945, cell: +7(333)225-1156. ORDWAY