KAZAKHSTAN: AMBASSADOR'S JULY 3 MEETING WITH

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