KAZAKHSTAN: GOVERNMENT RESPONSE ON POSSIBLE TRANSFER OF

S E C R E T ASTANA 001195 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, ISN E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2034 TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM PINR ETTC MARR KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: GOVERNMENT RESPONSE ON POSSIBLE TRANSFER OF LETHAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO SYRIA REF: (A) STATE 56723 (B) ASTANA 0956 (C) ASTANA 1000 Classified by: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland, Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (S) MFA Americas Department Deputy Director Alim Kirabayev called in Pol-Econ Chief on July 16 to provide the Government of Kazakhstan's official response to our demarche on the possible sale of D-30 Howitzers to Syria by the firm Kazakhstan Special Engineering (reftels). Kirabayev explained that the appropriate Kazakhstani government agencies had investigated the information the United States provided. The investigation confirmed that there is, in fact, a Kazakhstani company known as Kazakhstan Special Engineering (KazSpecEngineering). However, the investigation further determined that while the company had had preliminary discussions with the Syrians about a Howitzer sale, no agreement was reached and no contract was signed between the two sides. Kirabayev added that the company had made no request for an arms export license to Kazakhstan's Export Control Commission, nor had it provided an end-user certificate to the MFA, as required by Kazakhstani law. Thus, while there was the potential for an arms transfer, it did move forward, Kirabayev explained. ¶2. (S) Pol-Econ Chief thanked Kirabayev for the response and requested that the Kazakhstani government continue to monitor this case to ensure no arms transfer to Syria takes place in the future. Kirabayev promised to relay that message to his superiors. HOAGLAND