KAZAKHSTAN A WORTHY STRATEGIC PARTNER - MEDIA COVERAGE ON NAZARBAYEV VISIT

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STATE FOR SCA/CACEN (MO'MARA),SCA/PPD (JKAMP),EUR/ACE

(ESMITH/JMCKANE),DRL/PHD (CKUCHTA-HELBLING)



E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KPAO, KDEM, KZ

SUBJ: KAZAKHSTAN A WORTHY STRATEGIC PARTNER - MEDIA COVERAGE ON

NAZARBAYEV VISIT





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1. SUMMARY: Reporting by mostly pro-government and official

Kazakhstani media on President Nazarbayev's September 27-29 visit to

the United States was basically uncritical and emphasized that

Kazakhstan, as the most stable and economically prosperous nation in

Central Asia, was a worthy strategic partner for the U.S. Many

analysts commented that the visit would push the relationship to "a

new level" of mutual trust and cooperation. Most media accredited

for the visit were pro-government or official. Progressive

newspapers reprinted factual reports from accredited wire services

and opposition papers mined criticism published in websites or

Western publications for their assessments of the visit. Praise for

Nazarbayev's leadership, particularly in nuclear disarmament,

dominated the reporting. U.S. support for democratic reform was

reported in the context of quotes from U.S. Government officials,

including the joint statement and President Bush's remarks September

29. END SUMMARY.



No Criticism from Accredited Media

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2. Almost all the dozen media accredited for Nazarbayev's visit

were official or pro-government, with the exception of the

independently owned Channel 31 and Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency.

Some papers not accredited, like the progressive high circulation

Vremya avoided commentary and instead reprinted factual reports from

Interfax. Opposition papers mined Western news reports and online

sources for their assessment of the visit. Reporting from

accredited media was almost uniformly uncritical, laudatory, and

included numerous quotes from American officials praising Nazarbayev

and Kazakhstan.



15 Years of Bilateral Relations - Joint Achievement

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3. Scene setters on the eve of the visit focused on the long term

strategic partnership and the strong economic basis of relations. A

lengthy report in the official Kazakh language daily Yegemen

Kazakhstan September 27 headlined "Hello America! How Are You, Great

Country?" praised both countries for building mutual trust over a

15-year relationship and for becoming "strategic partners with

mutual interests," particularly in oil and gas trade.

Pro-government Liter September 26 commented, "Kazakhstan is one of

the few countries with great potential to further develop its energy

resources. The U.S. now views Kazakhstan as a prospective,

strategic partner in Central Asia, a significant region in the

international security system."



New Level of Cooperation and Trust

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4. The September 30 headline in Yegemen Kazakhstan - "Collaboration

To Reach New Level After President's U.S. Visit" - was echoed by

many analysts before and after the visit. In discussing the

possibility of a trans-Caspian gas pipeline, Johns Hopkins' Central

Asia expert Fred Starr said such an agreement could provide "a new

impetus to long term cooperation, not only in energy, but other

areas as well" (official Khabar TV, September 26). Commentary in

Liter cited "the consistency and effectiveness of projects already

implemented by Kazakhstan" as "the basis for the transition of

Kazakhstani-American relations to a new level." Analyst Murat

Laumulin of the Kazakhstani Institute for Strategic Studies

commented in Liter October 5 that the visit had indeed "elevated

relations with the U.S. to a new level of trust and mutual

understanding," while noting "the burdens of bilateral relations"

were "attempts by the U.S. to constantly push for democratization,

human rights, media freedom and NGO development." He held up

Kazakhstan as "a moderate, secular, and pro-Western" role model not

only for Central Asia, but for all Muslim countries.



Nazarbayev Praised as Nonproliferation Leader

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5. Pro-government and official media highlighted Nazarbayev's

successful leadership, particularly in non-proliferation efforts.

The pro-government municipal station Almaty TV on September 27

quoted Kazakhstani diplomats in Washington commenting that

Nazarbayev's warm reception by President George H. W. Bush in

Kennebunkport was "a sign of respect" for Nazarbayev personally and

that Nazarbayev's visit "was more about the future than the past."

Five television stations and several newspapers reported on

Congressman Tom Lantos' resolution congratulating Nazarbayev on the

15th anniversary of closing the Semipalatinsk testing ground and on



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Congresswoman Eni Faleomavaega's comment that he deserved the Nobel

Prize for his contributions to world peace.



Democratic Reform Not in Headlines, but Not Ignored

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6. While democratic reform did not make headlines, it was

nevertheless included in comments reported from U.S. government

officials. The official Russian language daily Kazakhstanskaya

Pravda and Yegemen Kazakhstan printed the full text of the September

29 joint statement. (Note: full coverage in official media of

statements by U.S. officials on support for democratic reform is not

a given. Khabar removed comments on democracy from Assistant

Secretary Boucher's September 10 interview.) Primetime scene



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setters reported the visit agenda as laid in the September 12 White

House announcement of the visit - democracy promotion, the war on

terror, energy diversification. On the day of the visit September

29, official broadcasters quoted President Bush thanking President

Nazarbayev for "his contribution to helping a new democracy in

Iraq," and for "his concerns about democracy in Afghanistan."

Independent Channel 31 provided a fuller account of President Bush's

comments including the two sides' discussion of "our commitment to

institutions that will enable liberty to flourish."



7. President Nazarbayev's emphasis on security in his September 29

remarks was clearly reported in the weekend broadcast news on

highest rated tabloid KTK TV, official Khabar and Channel 31.

(Note: because of time zones, coverage of the September 29 meeting

only started appearing the next day in Kazakhstan). KTK commented

that Kazakhstan and the U.S. were long term strategic partners and

therefore the heads of state had to discuss a wide range of

economic, political and security issues, the last of which drew the

president's "special attention."



Opposition Media Mine Internet for Dissenting Views

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8. Opposition weekly Taszhargan on October 5 incorporated criticism

from the October 4 "Voice of Democracy" electronic newsletter

disseminated by the International Eurasia Institute website,

believed to be affiliated with Nazarbayev's rival from the 1999

presidential elections, Akezhan Kazhegeldin. The article cited a

quote from Senator Russ Feingold: "'Many know Nazarbayev as a

corrupt dictator and as a person who does not respect the law, who

trampled a rising democracy and wiped out free press. This is not a

leader who should be accepted in the White House on an official

visit.'" It also mentioned Senator Carl Levin's September 26 floor

testimony challenging President Bush to prosecute the president of

Kazakhstan as a "kleptocrat." The Voice of Democracy newsletter

commented that Nazarbayev failed to achieve his number one priority,

endorsement for Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the OSCE in 2009.



9. Opposition Respublika published comment October 20 from

political scientist Nikolai Kuzmin on the lack of critical analysis

in media coverage of the visit, and characterizing the visit as a

publicity tour. "There was no information about this visit in the

media. . . A high level visit should be like a national foreign

policy event aimed at protecting our national interests. . . This

visit was a one-man triumph for the head of state."



Ordway