Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASTANA102
2009-01-20 09:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Astana
Cable title:
KAZAKHSTAN STILL UNDECIDED ON NABUCCO SUMMIT IN
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ASTANA 000102
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RUS, EEB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EPET RS HU KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN STILL UNDECIDED ON NABUCCO SUMMIT IN
BUDAPEST?
REF: BUDAPEST 0039
Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (B),(D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASTANA 000102
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RUS, EEB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EPET RS HU KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN STILL UNDECIDED ON NABUCCO SUMMIT IN
BUDAPEST?
REF: BUDAPEST 0039
Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (B),(D)
1. (C) Hungarian Ambassador Janos Balla called on the
Ambassador January 20 to deliver the current Hungarian draft
of the Budapest Nabucco Summit scheduled for January 27. He
expressed deep frustration that one week before the summit he
has yet to pin down who will represent Kazakhstan, if anyone.
2. (C) Ambassador Balla said originally both President
Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Karim Masimov had
been invited. In Balla's presence at a reception in
December, Nazarbayev had instructed Foreign Minister Marat
Tazhin to ensure representation at an appropriately high
level. Balla was to have met with Minister of Economy and
Budget Bakhyt Sultanov on January 16 to hear whom Kazakhstan
would send to Budapest, but Sultanov cancelled the meeting
with only two hours' notice and had his staff tell Balla the
Foreign Ministry would provide the name. However, Balla has
so far been unable to get an appointment with the appropriate
deputy foreign minister (Foreign Minister Tazhin returned
only on January 20 from winter vacation). The European
Ambassadors are hosting a lunch on January 21 for Minister of
Energy and Mineral Resources Sauat Mynbayev, where Balla
hopes he can pry out a reply from Mynbayev.
3. (C) Also on January 20, Czech Republic Ambassador Bedrich
Kopecky told the Ambassador that he thought Prime Minister
Masimov had asked Minister Mynbayev to attend the Nabucco
Summit, or to send a suitable representative. Hoever, Post
has not yet independently confirmed this report.
4. (C) Balla said he has no proof but a strong suspicion
that Russia is putting heavy pressure on Kazakhstan not to
attend the Nabucco Summit. He asked rhetorically, "If PM
Masimov can fly to Moscow on short notice for the Gas Summit
on January 17, why is it so hard to find someone for the
Nabucco Summit?"
5. (C) Ambassador Balla is well-briefed on Kazakhstan's
hydrocarbon resources, especially in the North Caspian area.
He said mostly Hungarians ran the Soviet hydrocarbon
operations around Atyrau before Kazakhstan's independence,
and he stays in close touch with the over 1,000 Hungarians
who still live and work there. According to Balla, Europeans
are increasingly aware that Kazakhstan's North Caspian has
"massive" untapped natural gas deposits (no further
information),although the country is focusing mostly on oil
production at this time.
6. (C) COMMENT: President Nazarbayev and a large gaggle of
ministers will be in New Delhi January 23-26, and Astana is
increasingly consumed with preparing for that important
visit. However, the government of Kazakhstan can usually
walk and chew gum at the same time, and so it seems a bit
curious at this late date it has not yet told Hungary who, if
anyone, will go to Budapest to attend the Nabucco summit.
END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RUS, EEB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EPET RS HU KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN STILL UNDECIDED ON NABUCCO SUMMIT IN
BUDAPEST?
REF: BUDAPEST 0039
Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (B),(D)
1. (C) Hungarian Ambassador Janos Balla called on the
Ambassador January 20 to deliver the current Hungarian draft
of the Budapest Nabucco Summit scheduled for January 27. He
expressed deep frustration that one week before the summit he
has yet to pin down who will represent Kazakhstan, if anyone.
2. (C) Ambassador Balla said originally both President
Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Karim Masimov had
been invited. In Balla's presence at a reception in
December, Nazarbayev had instructed Foreign Minister Marat
Tazhin to ensure representation at an appropriately high
level. Balla was to have met with Minister of Economy and
Budget Bakhyt Sultanov on January 16 to hear whom Kazakhstan
would send to Budapest, but Sultanov cancelled the meeting
with only two hours' notice and had his staff tell Balla the
Foreign Ministry would provide the name. However, Balla has
so far been unable to get an appointment with the appropriate
deputy foreign minister (Foreign Minister Tazhin returned
only on January 20 from winter vacation). The European
Ambassadors are hosting a lunch on January 21 for Minister of
Energy and Mineral Resources Sauat Mynbayev, where Balla
hopes he can pry out a reply from Mynbayev.
3. (C) Also on January 20, Czech Republic Ambassador Bedrich
Kopecky told the Ambassador that he thought Prime Minister
Masimov had asked Minister Mynbayev to attend the Nabucco
Summit, or to send a suitable representative. Hoever, Post
has not yet independently confirmed this report.
4. (C) Balla said he has no proof but a strong suspicion
that Russia is putting heavy pressure on Kazakhstan not to
attend the Nabucco Summit. He asked rhetorically, "If PM
Masimov can fly to Moscow on short notice for the Gas Summit
on January 17, why is it so hard to find someone for the
Nabucco Summit?"
5. (C) Ambassador Balla is well-briefed on Kazakhstan's
hydrocarbon resources, especially in the North Caspian area.
He said mostly Hungarians ran the Soviet hydrocarbon
operations around Atyrau before Kazakhstan's independence,
and he stays in close touch with the over 1,000 Hungarians
who still live and work there. According to Balla, Europeans
are increasingly aware that Kazakhstan's North Caspian has
"massive" untapped natural gas deposits (no further
information),although the country is focusing mostly on oil
production at this time.
6. (C) COMMENT: President Nazarbayev and a large gaggle of
ministers will be in New Delhi January 23-26, and Astana is
increasingly consumed with preparing for that important
visit. However, the government of Kazakhstan can usually
walk and chew gum at the same time, and so it seems a bit
curious at this late date it has not yet told Hungary who, if
anyone, will go to Budapest to attend the Nabucco summit.
END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND