KAZAK AMBASSADOR BRIEFS CHARGE ON UZBEK RELATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001486

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV EFIN ENRG ECON KY KZ UZ
SUBJECT: KAZAK AMBASSADOR BRIEFS CHARGE ON UZBEK RELATIONS


Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CDA BRAD HANSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D).


1. (C) Charge met with Kazakh Ambassador Myrzakhmetov on
August 8 to discuss the visit of Kazakh Prime Minister
Masimov to Tashkent on 26 July. The Ambassador said the
visit was the second in a scheduled series of high level
visits under the Uzbek-Kazakh Intergovernmental Committee.
The Ambassador did not say that anything concrete emerged
from the talks. Instead, he said the two sides signed a ten
year strategic agreement with a broad legal base of over 150
laws. (Note: This appears to be a type of memorandum of
understanding, outlining broad-range goals, covering economic
and political topics, over the next ten years. Uzbekistan
shares similar agreements with other countries in the region.
End note.) When the Charge asked if water rights or energy
issues were discussed, the Ambassador replied that he did not
know.


2. (C) Turning to economic relations, the Charge inquired
about press reports regarding the Kazakh Development Bank
opening a branch in Tashkent. According to the Ambassador,
the Kazakh Government opened the Bank's branch in 2006 to
serve medium to large Kazakh and Uzbek businesses with
projects in Uzbekistan. The minimum loan amount is USD 5
million. He confirmed that Kazakh businesses experience
delays in converting currency, but they "appreciate the
investment opportunities in Uzbekistan."


3. (C) The Kazakh Ambassador mentioned to the Charge a few
other points:

--Kazakh-Uzbek border delimitation is complete and the
demarcation is almost done.

--As a result of several shooting incidents along the
Uzbek/Kazakh border in the spring, the Kazakh Government
refined its standing "rules of engagement" prescribed for its
border guards. An aide to the Ambassador, present at the
meeting, stated many villages have been split down the middle
by this new international border and it is taking some time
for them to recognize and understand this new border, thus
incidents sometimes occur.

--A migrant labor agreement exists between the Uzbeks and
Kazakhs, but there are no accurate migrant labor statistics.

--He was puzzled as to why international organizations have
not protested Kyrgyzstan's plans to build new hydropower
stations that could adversely affect downstream countries.

--The Ambassador wanted to know what forums exist to discuss
problems in Afghanistan. The Charge informed him about
numerous existing forums, many of which operate in
Afghanistan.
HANSON