EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ASTANA 000094

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
(DECEMBER 2006)



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


1. Kazakhstan's Customs Control Committee Chairman Askar
Shakirov's proposed visit and draft itinerary to the United States
under the Volunteer Visitor Program (VVP) has been approved in
concept by DOS Public Affairs. Jeff Hartshorn suggested exploring
the possibility of changing the visit from the VVP to the
International Visitor Program (IVP). The IVP covers the entire cost
of a U.S. visit whereas the VVP only covers expenses after the
visitors have reached the U.S. After conferring with Public Affairs
and other Embassy officers, it is understood that the funding for
the IVP is programmed annually and not available for this visit.
Additionally, it is understood from Public Affairs that the IVP is
designed for mid-level officials rather than high-ranking officials
such as Chairman Shakirov. Nonetheless, the EXBS Advisor will
attempt to validate that the IVP alternative is truly not an option
before dismissing the idea. This is a unique opportunity for the
EXBS Advisor to spend an entire week one-on-one with the senior
Kazakhstani Customs leadership and should not be missed. The next
step is to meet with the Chairman in January, dates TBD, to discuss
and lock in final itinerary details.


2. As the Kazakhstan bureaucracy has matured, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA) has become increasingly insistent on being the
conduit for all international engagement activities. The MFA would
like to formally be involved in the decision making process of all
U.S. Government program activities. This includes approval of
participants in various workshops, training events, conferences as
well as requests for meetings, visits and exchanges. The MFA
recently expressed dissatisfaction when coordination for engagement
activities was completed without input from the MFA. The EXBS
Advisor asks the supporting USG agencies take note of this and
transmit requests through the MFA. Post of course encourages
agencies to continue to communicate informally with their contacts.



3. Blue Lantern program, DOD, requested EXBS assistance in
validating the location and serial numbers of all Night Vision
Goggles (NVG) donated under the EXBS Program. 100% of all NVGs have
been accounted for by serial number and location. All NVGs are
operational except for one broken unit. This effort is closed. How
to address the disposition of the damaged NVG is TBD.


4. Other administrative activities accomplished: Country
clearance for Douglas Evans (DOC/CTP) Internal Control Program /
Administrative Enforcement Instructor Training to be held in
Pavlodar and Astana in January. Diplomatic Note requesting 18 names
of Border Security officers for International Seaport Interdiction
Training (ISIT) to be held in Charleston S.C. February 12-16, 2007.
Diplomatic Note requesting participation of Ms. Gulnara Elegabayeva
of the Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Committee (KAEC) for DOE/NNSA
meeting on nuclear export control to be help in Washington D.C.
during the week of January 22, 2007.


5. Draft FY07 EXBS Budget plan was completed and presented to the
Department in December. A thorough and comprehensive analysis of
Kazakhstan's needs and USG goals was considered and incorporated
into the draft. As the plan is a draft, there is still work to be
done and decisions to be made on what D.C. is willing to support.
All proposed initiatives have been prioritized and the EXBS Advisor
and staff are prepared to discuss specifics upon request.


6. Tracker Program status. After lengthy dialog with Ms. Dina

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Akpanbaieve, head of export / import licensing department, Ministry
of Industry and Trade, further effort on the U.S. Tracker Program is
no longer desired. Kazakhstan has developed its own licensing
system which has already been fielded. No further action on the
U.S. Tracker Program is anticipated. Unless the Department requires
formal closure to the Tracker Program initiative, this message will
mark the close of this program.


7. Second Line of Defense (SLD). Erik Deschler (DOE),SLD Portal
Monitor Program Manager, requested permission in December to conduct
late stage site assessments at projected installation sites. This
program has been underway for several years and is nearing fruition;
however, the Kazakhstani Customs Control Committee insists that a
contract between AHTNA, DOE's program implementation contractor, and
the Kazakhstani implementing contractor be signed before any further
site assessments take place. Until then, permission to conduct
further surveys will be postponed. It should be noted that the
Kazakhstani government appreciates this program. However the
Customs implementing contractor, with whom AHTNA will contract, has
already incurred significant expense without a signed contract.
Unless there is other information the EXBS Advisor is not privy to,
the Customs Committee's request for a contract appears reasonable.
The situation has been communicated to Erik Deschler and the status
on the contract and appropriate way-forward will be established in
early January.


8. Two donated X-Ray vans. Kazakhstani Customs has requested that
the two X-Ray vans receive maintenance. The estimated cost for this
is undetermined. The problem is the units will not turn "on."
Without an experienced technician's evaluation it is not known
whether the problem is a major or minor problem. The EXBS Advisor
has recommended to DOE/NNSA (Laural Cotton) that if old funding
monies are available perhaps a periodic maintenance analysis can be
planned.


9. Fiberscope Repair. Kazakhstani Customs awaits a decision from
EXBS on plans to repair 7 broken fiberscopes. Carla D'Onofrio,
HLS/CBP, is the point of contact on this to determine whether there
is old money budgeted for these repairs or the cost must be factored
into the FY07 plan. EXBS Advisor will make contact with Carla on
the best way-forward.

II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD


A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED


1. No site assessments were conducted during December due to the
holiday season and a multitude of other engagement activities
previously scheduled. Beginning in January 2007, EXBS has set aside
one week each month for the entire year to conduct border site
assessments on all Kazakhstani borders (Annual EXBS calendar
forwarded to Jeff Hartshorn and updated weekly).


2. As of the end of December, Baku-based EXBS Regional Maritime
Advisor Mike Taffe continues to report that planned hull
anti-fouling paint and winterization for the three donated SAFE
boats in Aktau, Kazakhstan did not occur - specifics for the delay
are still not known. A new date for the painting and winterization
is yet to be determined. EXBS advisor Mike Seguin will make contact
with Mike Taffe to better understand the state of the SAFE Boat
program. A tentatively planned joint Office of Military Cooperation
/ EXBS meeting with MoD and Border Guard officials may take place
week of January 8 in Aktau to address specific areas of concern

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regarding the SAFE boat project, noted in the October report.
However, unless a clear way forward is planned to address the Safe
Boat maintenance issues, EXBS will not participate in this event.


3. At USAID's invitation, EXBS staff attended and presented the
EXBS program to a USAID Conference held in Almaty December 6-8 on
Central Asian Customs and Border Control issues entitled Trade
Facilitation and Investment Project. EXBS Advisor Mike Seguin
briefed the international Central Asian Customs community on EXBS
Program initiatives and participated in anti-corruption breakout
sessions. The conference was of value in that it brought together
all Customs entities (mid- and senior- level managers) from
throughout Central Asia to discuss and brainstorm methods of
enhancing, among other things, control of customs procedures to
prevent the proliferation of WMDs.


4. Also during the week of December 4, the EXBS office met with
the International Organization of Migration (IOM) in Almaty. IOM
has supported INL with procurement services and equipment
distribution much like LATA is presently doing with EXBS's purchase
and delivery of portable shelters and Ural trucks. The meeting was
of value in that IOM could be a potential resource for similar
future EXBS initiatives. IOM also has indicated a desire to
participate in the EXBS site assessment and training schedule in an
attempt to lessen the burden on Kazakhstani Customs and Border Guard
activities by packaging visits together. IOM also focuses on
training the Customs and Border Guard on effective passport control
methods - a program geared, among other things, to detect potential
signs of illegal trafficking (including WMDs).


5. December 15 EXBS team met with the Military Institute. This is
the academy where the National Security Services are trained (KNB -
former KGB). This is also where the Border Guard security services
train their junior leadership. This was a unique opportunity to
introduce the EXBS program to the people who have the responsibility
for institutionalizing training across Kazakhstan. It would be in
the EXBS program's best interest to cultivate a relationship with
this organization to standardize both border security doctrine and
perhaps more important to help develop an Inspector General (IG)
inspection program that ensures standards are known and maintained
uniformly throughout the country. The commanding general was out of
the office during the visit, but his deputy and staff thought it
worthwhile to explore further the idea of engagement with the EXBS
Program. The EXBS Advisor offered to come back and present to the
General the EXBS Program and discuss areas of previous engagement
and potential areas for future engagement. The value of this
meeting cannot be overstated as it is very difficult to establish
comprehensive dialogue with this organization. It is noteworthy that
INL has already taken the first steps in establishing an exchange
program with the Military Institute; EXBS should consider following
suit. Also while there, EXBS proposed that representatives from the
Military Institute's Border Guard section be included in the planned
February ISIT training to be held in Charleston, South Carolina.



B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD


1. December 4-8 EXBS office attended DOE WMD Commodity
Identification Workshop in Almaty conducted by a team of 4 and led
by Chris Walker. In attendance were representatives from Customs,
Border Guard, Nuclear Safety Center, and Ministry of Industry and
Trade, among others. The workshop focused primarily on Nuclear
Commodity Identification, but also touched on Biological and

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Chemical materials. This event focused on all aspects of WMDs and
was well conducted and received. The participants recommended
continuing with this format. One comment the workshop attendees
particularly focused on was the need for support of a Technical
Information Center. This initiative should be explored in the
future and has been proposed in the FY07 EXBS Program Budget.


2. December 14-15 - The Department of Commerce/Commonwealth Trading
Partners (CTP) conducted an extremely well done Internal Control
Program (ITP) workshop along with the Kazakhstani non-governmental
organization Business Info. This workshop was a follow-on to
November's training in Astana geared toward orienting various
Kazakhstani agencies - most notably the Ministry of Industry and
Trade (MoI&T) - with customized Kazakhstani software for use in
commodity identification. This software will be used to support
Kazakhstan's industry outreach efforts and standardize the method
used for Nuclear Commodity Identification. Ms. Dina Akpanbayeva
again indicated a need for other related support in both hardware /
software including focus on Biological and Chemical commodities in
the future. Also discussed was the desire for a web-based solution
to facilitate industry outreach. The EXBS budget subsequently
proposed a portion of the FY07 funding be allocated to this end -
pending assessment and approval by D.C.


C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD


1. No equipment delivered during this reporting period.


D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE


1. Dip note sent to the MFA in November for dates for DOE to
conduct installation and necessary software upgrades to 3-each
portable X-ray Florescence (XRF) Metal Analyzers used at various
border locations. Customs responded in December with a request for
names and dates of those proposing to conduct the upgrades. DOE was
contacted, and the requested information will be provided by
mid-January.


2. EXBS office continues with the preliminary planning stages for
USCBP sponsored 5-day ISIT training event to be held February 12-16
in Charleston, S.C. for 18 mid-level and senior Border Guard
officers. Purpose is to conduct training (Train-the-Trainer) in
"Hands-On" Interdiction techniques and practices. Also invited was
representation of the Kazakhstani Military Institute. Presently the
EXBS staff is coordinating all logistics and administrative issues
(i.e. visas, tickets, lodging).


3. EXBS Advisor invited to attend World Customs Organization
sponsored anti-corruption conference in Almaty January 17-19.


4. January 16-25 Douglas Evans (DOC/CTP) with Business Info will
conduct Internal Control Program / Administrative Enforcement
Instructor Training to be held in Pavlodar and Astana in January.


5. Site assessment week planned for January 20-25 on south
Kazakhstan region (Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan Border).


6. Annual Export Control System Questionnaire scheduled for
submission to the MFA second week of January. First, must validate
the currency of the existing questionnaire with EXBS D.C.


7. EXBS staff planned introductory meetings in January with
leadership of Border Guard, Customs, Ministry of Industry and Trade

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and Ministry of Foreign Affairs after approval of the FY07 budget is
received from D.C.


8. Portable Shelters and Ural Trucks (LATA T.O. 79). EXBS
provided LATA with points of contact and names of Border Guard
officials to facilitate the shipment of T.O. 79 donations. There
are still a number of minor issues to resolve in the logistics of
this rather complicated and significant transfer, which is projected
to happen in late February or early March. The EXBS office will
continue to closely monitor the details of this project throughout
the month of January and update D.C. as required.


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


1. Nothing other than relayed above.


F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION


1. Nothing other than relayed above.

III. RED FLAG ISSUES.


1. None.

MILAS