Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASTANA2727
2007-10-01 05:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Astana
Cable title:  

KAZAKHSTAN ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT TIFA

Tags:  ETRD EFIN ECON PREL AF KG KZ TI TX UZ 
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VZCZCXRO2820
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHTA #2727 2740546
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010546Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0842
INFO RUCNCLS/SCA COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS ASTANA 002727 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN - O'MARA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EFIN ECON PREL AF KG KZ TI TX UZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT TIFA

REF: State 117583

UNCLAS ASTANA 002727

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN - O'MARA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EFIN ECON PREL AF KG KZ TI TX UZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT TIFA

REF: State 117583


1. (U) Econoff delivered reftel points on September 28 to Damigul
Kabiyeva, Head of the WTO accession Department. Kabiyeva stated
that she thought this summer's Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement (TIFA) Council events in Washington were a success and
reiterated Kazakhstan's commitment to developing the TIFA framework
as a means of facilitating regional economic development.


2. (U) Kabiyeva was quite supportive of the idea of holding
expert-level preparatory events before next year's plenary session.
Such an approach, she stated, would help make the political-level
discussions more focused and fruitful. She also suggested the
possibility of launching concrete investment projects at future TIFA
meetings.


3. (U) Kabiyeva reacted favorably to the idea of holding next year's
TIFA events in Central Asia, stating that holding them in the region
may help attract business participation. She noted that Dushanbe
has recently hosted a number of multilateral meetings, adding that
Kazakhstani officials go there "with pleasure." Kabiyeva was
somewhat less enthusiastic about Asghabat as a possible venue, but
said that holding TIFA events there "may help bring Turkmenistan
into the fold a little more." She also suggested the possibility of
determining meeting locations on a rotating basis (an approach, she
noted, used by other regional organizations). This, Kabiyeva said,
would give each country a greater stake in the TIFA framework.


4. (SBU) Still, Kabiyeva emphasized the importance of a continuing
strong role of the U.S. in the TIFA process. Initiatives, she
noted, are received better if they come from the United States.
Other Central Asian countries, she continued, are wary of the notion
of Kazakhstan's "regional leadership."

MILAS