EXBS KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE (APRIL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000888 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC YWONG, ACHURCH, JHARTSHORN, SROBINSON DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER DEPT FOR EUR/ACE DFISCHER DEPT FOR SCA/RA JSPILSBURY DEPT FOR SCA/CEN MO'MARA CBP/INA FOR KCHAISSON AND RWATT USDOE/NNSA CWALKER, TPERRY AND EDESCHLER DOC FOR DCREED USCG FOR SHABETIMICHAEL 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 2008) ¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: ¶1. Gulnara Abildaeva, Program Coordinator/Manager for the EXBS program in Kazakhstan has been named the "Astana Foreign Service National (FSN) of the Year for 2008". This award is given in recognition of the high standards of performance and value to the U.S. Government through special contributions made by a Department of State FSN. Ms. Abildaeva will represent Astana in competition for the Department-wide FSN of the Year award. II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED ¶1. On April 15, 2008, the EXBS program team attended a meeting between the Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee of the Ministry of Finance and a delegation from the U.S. Department of Energy's Second Line of Defense (SLD) program, lead by the Bruce Pentola. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss a broad range of matters concerning the SLD program, including training, acceptance testing, and equipment delivery issues. ¶2. On April 15, 2008, the EXBS team was given a tour of the Kazakhstani Customs Control Committee's Communication Command Center in Astana. From this Communication Command Center, representatives of the Customs Control Committee can monitor the activities at 13 ports of entry throughout Kazakhstan. Customs Entry/Exit Documents and Customs Declarations are scanned into the system at the border crossing and can be viewed by specialists in Astana. These specialists can conduct further research in data bases from other Kazakhstani government agencies that are not available to the officers at the border crossings. The center also has a video feed that can monitor vehicles arriving and departing the ports of entry. Future plans call for expanding coverage to additional border crossings, and for the participation of other Kazakhstani governmental agencies in the Communication Command Center, making it a one stop information clearance house for Kazakhstan government-wide assistance to front line Customs officers. ¶3. On April 17, 2008, the EXBS advisor attended a Security Assistance Working Group (SAWG) meeting held in Astana, Kazakhstan. Among the topics discussed was the status of the Second Line of Defense efforts in installing radiation portal monitors in Kazakhstan and the proposed U.S. Department of Energy's AirConOps program. ¶4. On April 21, 2008, the EXBS team conducted interviews of seven candidates for the EXBS Program Assistant position in Astana. As a result of these interviews, Elina Akhtiyarova was selected for the position and will start her employment with EXBS on May 25, 2008. ¶5. On April 22, 2008, the EXBS team attended a meeting between Kazakhstani representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Customs Control Committee, and the Border Guard Service and a U.S. Delegation lead by Dexter Ingram, State Department ISN/WMD, and Allison Johnson, U.S. Department of Energy. The purpose of this meeting was to present to the Government of Kazakhstan a proposal to use Kazakhstan as a regional pilot of AirConOps, which is a new direction for the Second Line of Defense program. Under this pilot program, U.S. Department of Energy would provide the Government of Kazakhstan with detection equipment that will provide the capability to detect ASTANA 00000888 002 OF 002 nuclear/radiological material within aircraft after they have landed. This proposal pilot program would bring the detection capability to the aircraft itself and the equipment could be used to search both full and empty aircraft. On April 28, the Embassy received a copy of a letter from the Customs Control Committee to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in which the Customs Committee recommended that Kazakhstan participate in the program. ¶B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. From April 7-11, 2008, an International Counterproliferation Program (ICP) course, "WMD Crime Scene Skills Recertification Course" was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The purpose of this course was to provide continuing education for 29 students that attended prior ICP courses. The students represented the following Kazakhstani organizations: The Committee for National Security; The General Prosecutor's Office; The Agency for Economic Crime and Corruption Prevention; The Ministry of Internal Affairs; The Customs Control Committee; and The Ministry of Emergency Situations. ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. None ¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE ¶1. None ¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY ¶1. None ¶F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION ¶1. On April 23-24, 2008, the EXBS program manager assisted Lt. Michael Fisher, EXBS Regional Maritime Advisor, during meetings with Rear Admiral Abikeev and his staff in Aktau and Bautino, Kazakhstan. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss SAFE boat maintenance, conduct an inventory of EXBS and U.S. Coast Guard purchased supplies and spare parts for the donated SAFE boats, and to discuss the SAFE Boat Operations Course to be conducted in Bautino, Kazakhstan from July 7 to August 1, 2008. III. RED FLAG ISSUES. ¶1. None ORDWAY