Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASTANA1262
2007-05-11 06:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Astana
Cable title:  

EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE (APRIL

Tags:  ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KZ 
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VZCZCXRO2059
RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU
DE RUEHTA #1262/01 1310603
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110603Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9414
RUEAORC/US CUSTOMS SERVICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 0032
RUEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC
RUCQAAA/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0425
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 7987
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 7909
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0003
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2115
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 7162
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 001262 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, JHARTSHORN
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE RBUCK
DEPT FOR SCA/RA JSCHLOSSER
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN MO'MARA
CBP/INA FOR CDONOFRIO AND RWATT
USDOE/NNSA CWALKER, TPERRY AND EDESCHLER
DOC FOR DCREED AND GPETERSEN-BEARD
USCG FOR BGOLDEN
AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE AND ASHGABAT FOR EXBS
ADVISORS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KZ
SUBJECT: EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE (APRIL
2007)


I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS:

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 001262

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, JHARTSHORN
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE RBUCK
DEPT FOR SCA/RA JSCHLOSSER
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN MO'MARA
CBP/INA FOR CDONOFRIO AND RWATT
USDOE/NNSA CWALKER, TPERRY AND EDESCHLER
DOC FOR DCREED AND GPETERSEN-BEARD
USCG FOR BGOLDEN
AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE AND ASHGABAT FOR EXBS
ADVISORS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KZ
SUBJECT: EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE (APRIL
2007)


I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS:


1. TDY EXBS Advisor Larry Adkins departed post on April 26.
The Embassy welcomed TDY EXBS Advisor Kevin Cummings assigned to
post from April 24 to May 24, as the second in a series of temporary
advisors who will manage the office until the next TDY EXBS Advisor
arrives. On May 2, it was announced that Bill Mayer, the former EXBS
Advisor in Armenia, was selected as the permanent EXBS Advisor for
Kazakhstan. His tentative reporting date is June 25, 2007.


2. Industry-Government Relations Forum. The EXBS office sent a
diplomatic note proposing that the First U.S.-Kazakhstan,
Industry-Government Relations Forum be conducted in Almaty from June
7-8, 2007. EXBS received oral confirmation from the Chancery of the
Prime Minister that the Government of Kazakhstan accepted the
proposed dates for this event. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of
Republic of Kazakhstan will host the Forum and coordinate with EXBS
on the details. CTP, INC. - contractor to DOC/BIS hired a local
subcontractor to provide logistical support.


3. Safe-Boats maintenance. Program Manager Gulnara Abildaeva
worked with GSO, the customs officials of Aktau, and the customs
brokerage to have the anti-fouling paint released from customs
control and moved to the Maritime Border Guards base in Bautino
where the three safe boats are moored. Mike Taffe, Export Control
and Border Security (EXBS) Regional Maritime Advisor based in Baku,
will meet with representatives of the Maritime Division of
Kazakhstan's Border Service in Aktau on May 23-24.
The purpose of this trip will be to coordinate the painting of the

Safe Boats, to work with the Maritime Border Guard (MBG) to select a
vendor to perform scheduled Safe Boat maintenance, to identify a
vendor to perform an assessment on the Sea Ark, to check the status
of repairs to the engine of Safe Boat 622, and to discuss an advance
Small Boat Operations Mobile Training (U.S.CG MTT) scheduled for
summer 2007.


4. Department of Energy Software Upgrades. The trip to the Dostyk
and Bakhty ports of entry from May 14-18 and the trip to the
Maikapshagai port of entry from May 21-25 for the representative of
Nuclear Technology Safety Center (NTSC) were approved by the Customs
Control Committee. The NTSC representative will upgrade the software
for the portable X-ray Florescence (XRF) metal analyzers provided to
Kazakhstan Customs in June of 2006.


5. Border Site Assessments Kazakhstan-China Border. The EXBS
team will accompany the representative from the NTSC to Dostyk and
Bakhty to conduct Border Site Assessments. As part of the
assessment process, the EXBS team will inspect all equipment donated
by EXBS and review port facilities, operations and procedures.


6. Volunteer Visitor Program. The EXBS office received the
completed Biographical and Program Data form from Mr.Shakirov,
Chairman Customs Control Committee. His office notified EXBS that
Mr. Shakirov is unable to attend during May and requested the visit
be scheduled for late August. The information was forwarded to the
Public Affairs Section for action.


II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD


A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED


1. April 12-19 - TDY Advisor Larry Adkins and Kazakhstan EXBS

ASTANA 00001262 002 OF 003


Program Assistant Oxana Limareva traveled to the Karasu Border
Crossing in the Zhambyl Region and the Jibek Joli Border Crossing in
the Southern Region. There they assisted the DOE/NNSA Mobile X-Ray
Van Repair Team. Upon arrival at these locations, it was learned
that rough road conditions, frequent power surges and the frequent
loss of electrical power in these areas had rendered the mobile
X-ray vans inoperable at both ports. In Karasu the van has been
non-operational since June 2006 and the van in Jibek Joli has been
non-operational since May 2006. While the repair team worked on the
x-ray vans, the EXBS Advisor team conducted site assessments at the
Karasu and Jibek Joli border crossings. Those assessment reports
have been submitted to INS/ECC Country Lead Jeffrey Hartshorn.


2. On May 3, representatives from the Office of Military
Cooperation and EXBS Advisor attended a meeting with the Director of
the Border Guard Service, General-Lieutenant Bolat Zakiyev. Issues
related to narcotic detections and interdictions consistent with DOD
provisions of Counter Narcotics programs were discussed.


B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD


1. Product Identification Tool Training. TDY EXBS Advisor Larry
Adkins and Kazakhstan EXBS Program Manager Gulnara Abildaeva
attended Product Identification Tool Training (PIT) from April 3-5
in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Mr. Douglas Evans and Mr. Eric Denijs of
Commonwealth Trading Partners (CTP) conducted the training.
Assisting in the training was CTP's in country representative
Business Inform, who translated the PIT into Russian and modified
the software to make the program more useful and user friendly. A
total of fourteen Customs officers representing almost every region
of Kazakhstan attended the training and received a copy of the PIT
software. Everyone gave positive remarks regarding the training and
the usefulness of the PIT software. They expressed the belief that
it is an excellent tool that will increase proficiency and enhance
the enforcement of export controls.



C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD


1. No equipment delivered during this reporting period.


D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE


1. Task Order 79 Donation. Task Order 79 for the EXBS donation of
Ural Trucks and Border Guard Shelters is nearing completion. EXBS
was notified by Kazakhstan Border Guards that seven URAL trucks had
arrived in Kyzyl-Orda, two trucks had arrived in Aktau, one truck
has arrived in Beineu, and one truck had arrived in Uralsk. It was
reported that the truck at Uralsk has a broken steering box. It is
expected that the four shelters to be donated will arrive in May or
June; however, definite delivery dates have not yet been determined.
The Ambassador will be asked to participate in a dedication
ceremony at an appropriate time.


2. X-Ray Van Repairs. The Department of Energy (DOE) sent
technicians to maintain the donated X-Ray Van at the Korday Customs
Post on the Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan border April 14-16, and to
Shimkent city - on the Kazakhstan - Uzbekistan border on April
18-20. The DOE/NNSA Mobile X-Ray Van Repair Team consisting of Mr.
Gilbert Chavez and Mr. Michael Lukens was unable to repair either
van. The vans require replacements parts that the repair team did
not have in their possession.


ASTANA 00001262 003 OF 003



3. Preliminary Department of Energy Second Line of Defense
(DOE/SLD) site survey. The Second Line of Defense (SLD) program team
will develop an installation and integration plan for the placement
of radiation detection equipment and portal monitors at vehicle
crossing sites throughout Kazakhstan. The dates for this project
have been moved from June 1 to July 1.


4. Commodity Identification Training (CIT). The Department of
Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration's (DOE/NNSA)
International Nonproliferation Export Control Program (INECP) plans
to hold a Commodity Identification Training (CIT) course for Customs
Control Committee (CCC) personnel during the week of May 28 in the
city of Atyrau. CIT is intended to provide customs inspectors and
others to recognize potentially export controlled, WMD-sensitive
goods. INECP and its Kazakhstani partners including the Customs
Committee, the Atomic Energy Committee and technical specialists
from several institutes have been cooperating on CIT for several
years, and the Kazakhstani side has modified INECP's course
specifically for the Customs Control Committee, while also preparing
a group of instructors to teach the course. This will be the fourth
CIT seminar in Kazakhstan.



E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR
RELATED BORDER SECURITY


1. None.


F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION


1. None.

III. RED FLAG ISSUES.


1. None.

CROWLEY