KAZAKHSTAN: BLUE LANTERN CASE GC-0825-05

UNCLAS ALMATY 000345 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PM/DDTC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KOMC KZ RS GM ECONOMIC SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: BLUE LANTERN CASE GC-0825-05 REF: STATE 3488 ¶1. Per reftel instructions, on January 24 Econoff confirmed the existence of TOO CII "International Engineering" at 142, Boghenbai Batira Street, Office 625, Almaty, Kazakhstan. The company occupied a modest, yet apparently legitimate and functional, suite of rooms. ¶2. However, at the time of Econoff's visit, the company was on the eve of changing locations, and on January 31 informed the Embassy of a new address: 20A Kazibek Bi St., Almaty, Kazakhstan. The company does not yet have phone lines in the new offices. ¶3. The company's Office Director, Natalya Moon (cell: 8 300 760 1555),confirmed that "International Engineering" performs aerial mapping. However, Moon resisted characterizing the company as an "aerial mapping company," stating that its primary purpose was more broad: "oil and gas diagnostic work." Further, Moon was not aware of the "proposed joint venture with the German firm InterEng Messtechnik and the Russian firm Geokosmos-GIS, Ltd." ¶4. The point-of-contact listed in reftel, Edwin Kramer, appears to be based in Germany and visits the Kazakhstan office irregularly. Thus, Post was unable to verify the existence of the joint venture described in reftel. ORDWAY