KAZAKHSTAN: FOREIGN MINISTER ON GUANTANAMO

UNCLAS ALMATY 002955

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN - MUDGE, DEHART

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: FOREIGN MINISTER ON GUANTANAMO
TRANSFERS, VISA RECIPROCITY, AND IAEA PROTOCOL

Ref: Almaty 2935


1. (SBU) Summary: During an August 17 meeting, Foreign
Minister Tokayev told Ambassador Ordway that he would
recommend to President Nazarbayev that Kazakhstan send a
"fact finding" team to Afghanistan to investigate possible
Kazakhstani participation in a Provincial Reconstruction
Team (PRT). Tokayev termed the idea of accepting the
transfer of Kazakhstani citizens from Guantanamo as "still
controversial," but predicted that the GOK would
eventually accept their return. Tokayev also committed to
look into the idea of a reciprocal extension of the length
of visa validity, as well as Kazakhstan's ratification of
the IAEA Additional Protocol. Discussion of Kazakhstan's
CiO bid reported reftel. End summary.

Guantanamo Detainees "Still Controversial"
--------------


2. (SBU) Ambassador Ordway opened the August 17 discussion
by reiterating USG desire and readiness to transfer three
Kazakhstani Guantanamo detainees back to Kazakhstan.
Tokayev replied that he had just received a report from
the MFA's Consular Services Department on the issue, and
was now awaiting a briefing on a recent Ambassador
Saudabayev / Assistant Secretary Boucher conversation on
the topic. Then, he said, "we will formulate a position."
The idea of accepting the detainees was "still
controversial" in certain parts of the government, he
said. One issue, he added, was Kazakhstan's difficulty in
guaranteeing that the detainees would not engage in future
terrorist acts. "We have no services to monitor the men,"
he explained.


3. (SBU) Ambassador Ordway told Tokayev that, while he
understood Kazakhstan's caution on the issue, every
country "has a fundamental obligation to receive its own
citizens." Tokayev acknowledged the point, and allowed
that, personally, he believed that "eventually we will
take them back."

Visa Reciprocity
--------------


4. (SBU) Ambassador Ordway briefed Tokayev on recent
Embassy discussions with lower levels of the MFA on the
possibility of reciprocally lengthening the validity of
tourist visas. Lengthening the term of a visitor's visa
to three years would save Kazakhstani citizens time and
money lost in multiple trips to the Embassy consular
section, Ambassador Ordway explained, and help promote
ties between the two countries. Tokayev identified a
potential complexity in the reciprocity negotiations -- a
Kazakhstani visa, unlike an American one, not only allows
for entry into Kazakhstan but also defines the allowed
length of stay - but granted that he would "try to do
something" to advance the issue.

IAEA Additional Protocol
--------------


5. (SBU) Ambassador Ordway then asked Tokayev to
investigate the possibility of Kazakhstan ratifying the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Additional
Protocol. Doing so, he explained, would not be onerous,
and would be a logical extension to Kazakhstan's
significant achievements in the non-proliferation domain.
Tokayev professed not to fully understand the issue, but
mused that Kazakhstan's failure to ratify to date might be
due to a "problem with additional inspections." He told
the Ambassador that he would look into the issue.

ORDWAY