KAZAKHSTAN - DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON TURKEY'S CHANGE

UNCLAS ASTANA 000795 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EEB/IFD/ODF, TREASURY FOR DO/IA/IDP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREL KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN - DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON TURKEY'S CHANGE OF STATUS AT THE EBRD REF: STATE 41999 ¶1. (SBU) On April 24, Poloff delivered reftel demarche points on Turkey's EBRD status to MFA Multilateral Economic and Humanitarian Cooperation Department head Mursulnaby Tuyakbayev. He was not aware of Turkey's request, and thanked poloff for bringing this proposal to their attention in advance of the May 18-19 EBRD Board of Governor's meeting. Tuyakbayev appeared willing to support the U.S. position, as long as Turkey did not object to this approach. He told poloff that the MFA will discuss this in detail with the Ministry of Finance, which has the lead on EBRD issues. Tuyakbayev was interested in the reasoning for Turkey's request for a change of status and if this change of status would be permanent. Poloff explained that according to the EBRD office in Astana, Turkey had asked the organization to provide project financing for various economic reform activities and that if its status was changed to a country of operation, this change could be permanent. Tuyakbayev said that the MFA will inform the Embassy of the Kazakhstani government's official position as soon as the issue is reviewed interagency. ORDWAY