EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ALMATY 002885 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, JGABRYSZEWSKI DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER 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 GPETERSEN-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'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE (JULY 2006) ¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: ¶1. Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program TDY Advisor Kevin Cummings assisted Advisor Offenbacher during the office's initial three weeks in Astana. Mr. Cummings departed Kazakhstan the third week of July. EXBS TDY Advisor Larry Adkins arrived in Astana on July 24 to provide support for the EXBS Program office and will remain until mid-September. ¶2. EXBS Program Coordinator Gulnara Abildaeva relocated to Astana on July 31, completing the office's move to Kazakhstan's new capital. Ms. Abildaeva will be on annual leave beginning August 7, and will return to the office in early September. ¶3. Post Astana's move across town from its current location in the Embassy Branch Office to the New Embassy Compound has been postponed and is now scheduled for the last week in September. ¶4. The projected deployment date for the new EXBS Program advisor to Kazakhstan, Mr. Michael Seguin, is mid- September. Andrew Offenbacher, the incumbent EXBS advisor, is scheduled to conclude his tenure at post on September ¶15. II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED ¶1. July 3 - Kevin Cummings and Advisor met with Yermek Smagulov and Aidyn Turashev of Kazakhstan's Customs Committee to discuss the status of the Administrative Enforcement (AE) and Product Identification Tool (PIT) projects. The PIT project has been stalled for quite some time, initially due to a change in the local subcontractor, but more recently because Customs continues to drag its feet on providing the technical requirements necessary to put together a budget, timeline and guide future work. Both Mr. Cummings and Mr. Offenbacher reiterated the need for Customs to provide this information as soon as possible to allow the PIT project to move forward. Aidyn Turashev reiterated Customs' interest in the AE project. ¶2. July 3 - Advisor met with Alexandra Vozhakova, Head of Customs' Radioactive Materials and Technical Means Department, to discuss logistical arrangements for the Second Line of Defense (SLD) site survey team. ¶3. July 13 - Kevin Cummings and Advisor met with Sahip Zhubanishev of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) and Mr. Aidyn Turashev of Customs. Topics of discussion included the PIT and AE projects, proposed additions to Kazakhstan's export control law, export control regulations and the Tracker software. The additions to the export control law are currently in interagency review and are reputedly likely to be adopted before the end of the year. MIT is still evaluating the Tracker software and source code and will contact the EXBS Program office when they determined whether there is a need for the Tracker package. ¶4. July 15-26 - Advisor and Gulnara Abildaeva held a number of informal discussions with representatives from Kazakhstan's Border Service and Customs Committee on the ALMATY 00002885 002 OF 004 sidelines of the International Border Interdiction Training (IBIT) sessions. Topics covered included: soliciting input on CBP's border assessment project, questions about equipment priorities, and their evaluation of the IBIT training. ¶B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. A two-week U.S. Coast Guard Small Boat Operations course concluded on July 7. Eleven officers of Kazakhstan's Maritime Border Guard Division participated in the course, which was held on the Caspian Sea in Bautino. The training included lectures and hands-on exercises designed to ensure the effective maintenance and operation of Kazakhstan's three 42-foot fast response boats. These three U.S.-made "Safe" boats were provided to Kazakhstan's Border Service by the U.S. Coast Guard and the EXBS Program in May 2006. Gulnara Abildaeva attended the training for most of the two weeks, and Kevin Cummings joined her for final day's graduation ceremony. The four Coast Guard trainers reported that the training was a success and that the students were motivated, studious and digested the material well. Several problems came to light during the training, including the need for the bottom of the boats to be coated with anti-fouling paint, fuel quality and supply issues, and a few problems with the boats' parts and systems. These issues are being investigated; some are in the process of being rectified with the assistance of the EXBS Program's Regional Maritime office in Baku. Upon conclusion of the course, Kazakhstan's Maritime Border Guard Division expressed a desire to receive additional training in such areas as maritime search and rescue, law enforcement and boat maintenance. ¶2. From July 15 - July 27, Advisor Offenbacher and EXBS Program Coordinator Gulnara Abildaeva accompanied a group of 16 Kazakhstanis (eight representing the Border Service and eight Customs) to McAllen, Texas to attend an International Border Interdiction Training (IBIT 1). The training included both classroom lectures and visits to two ports of entry (Pharr and Hidalgo) on the U.S.-Mexican border. Additional information is available in a separate report, but in sum the training was very well received. An indication of this was the level of participation - the group was enthusiastic and highly engaged for the duration the weeklong course. In addition to the IBIT 1 training in Texas, the group was afforded an opportunity to spend the day at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico. This was the highlight of the trip for many of the Kazakhstanis as they were given an opportunity to experience firsthand "a day in the life" of a U.S. Border Patrol trainee. From the firing range to the high-speed pursuit track, the group was given an up close view of the academy's operations. ¶3. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency's International Counterproliferation Program (DTRA/ICP) conducted a follow- on "Weapons of Mass Destruction Crime Scene Management" course in Almaty from July 17-21. The course is designed ALMATY 00002885 003 OF 004 to help officials respond safely and effectively at WMD crime scenes. ¶4. From July 24-28, DTRA ICP conducted an additional follow-on "Weapons of Mass Destruction Crime Scene Management" course, this week in Astana. ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. None. ¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE ¶1. The National Nuclear Security Administration's International Nonproliferation Export Control Program (NNSA/INECP) will hold a Commodity Identification Training course in Shymkent from August 7-11 for Kazakhstani Customs personnel. This is the second time the "indigenized" (i.e., taught by Kazakhstani nuclear technical experts) version of the course has been offered. In March 2006, the course was delivered in Almaty by Kazakhstani instructors for the first time. ¶2. In follow up to the May 2006 signing of the Second Line of Defense Implementing Arrangement and June talks in Astana, the SLD Program will send a team to Kazakhstan from September 11-20 to conduct site surveys at a number of locations along Kazakhstan's southern border. The information obtained during the surveys will be used to guide subsequent portal monitor installations. The EXBS Program office is the embassy point of contact for the SLD Program and is coordinating the visit with the Kazakhstan's Customs Committee. ¶3. An assessment of the Russian-Kazakhstani border (both ports of entry and the adjacent green borders) is planned for the first half of November. The assessment team will include two U.S. Border Patrol Officers and two representatives from U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of International Affairs. The team will visit several regions and will draw on the United States' border security experience to provide Kazakhstan's Border Service with recommendations on how to more effectively monitor, secure and protect Kazakhstan's borders with a view to preventing the spread of WMD. ¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY ¶1. A Kazakhstani governmental decree came out on July 14, 2006 with updated rules on the transit of export controlled goods. ¶F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION ¶1. Please see section B, paragraph 1 above. III. RED FLAG ISSUES. None. The point of contact for this report is Andrew S. Offenbacher, EXBS Advisor, OffenbacherAS@state.gov, tel: +7(3172)58-08-90, cell: +7(333)225-1156. ALMATY 00002885 004 OF 004 ORDWAY