KAZAKHSTAN: EXBS ADVISOR'S REPORTING CABLE (JULY 2009)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001376 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN, ISN/ECC, EUR/ACE, SCA/RA, CBP/INA STATE PASS TO DOE/NNSA AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE AND ASHGABAT FOR EXBS ADVISORS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC MNUC KNNP KSTC KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: EXBS ADVISOR'S REPORTING CABLE (JULY 2009) ASTANA 00001376 001.2 OF 002 ¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS ¶1. The Export Control and Related Border Security Program (EXBS) was successful in nominating three Kazakhstani Customs Officers, Ermek Smagulov, Marat Kabdushev, and Abzal Shogelbaev, for participation in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in Washington D.C., from August 24 to September 16. ¶2. On July 27, a Diplomatic Note was sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs inviting Dr. Gulnara Eligbayeva, Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Committee, to a Technical Experts Working Group (TEWG) conference in Istanbul, Turkey, from September 15-18. This event is sponsored by the Department of Energy's International Nonproliferation Export Control Program (INECP). ¶3. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of International Affairs has announced that Karen Chaisson will replace Sandy Baker as Kazakhstan program manager for CBP. ¶4. The new Astana EXBS advisor, Paul J. Shott, is scheduled to arrive in Astana on August 30. The current Astana EXBS advisor will depart post on September 12 and be on leave until the end of his contract. II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED ¶5. On July 16, the EXBS advisor was informed that Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee Chairman Kozy-Korpesh Zhaparkhanovich Karbuzov and the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Kunio Mikuriya signed a Memorandum establishing a Regional Training Centre for Central Asia in Astana, Kazakhstan. The opening ceremony of this Central Asia Regional Training Centre is scheduled for December in Astana during the WCO Secretary General's visit. ¶6. On July 16, the EXBS advisor was informed that Kazakhstan had deposited their instruments of accession to the Revised Kyoto Convention on the simplification and harmonization of Customs procedures to the WCO Secretary General, raising the number of contracting parties to sixty-two. ¶7. On July 17, the EXBS advisor was informed by Colonel Mermankulov Meirkhan, Customs Control Committee, that the Government of Kazakhstan is interested in entering into an extradition agreement with the United States. Mr. Alzhan Nurbekov, Senior Prosecutor of the International Cooperation Department, was designated as the Kazakhstani point of contact and Senior Special Agent Kenneth Jones, Legal Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Astana, was designated at the point of contact for the U.S. ¶8. On July 28, the EXBS advisor participated in a Security Assistance Working Group (SAWG) meeting on border security assistance to the Government of Kazakhstan. ¶B. TRAINING COURSES CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶9. From July 16-17, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) successfully conducted an U.S.-Kazakhstan Export Control and Counter-Proliferation Exchange Workshop for prosecutors and investigators in Almaty. The workshop consisted of 23 representatives from the General Prosecutor Office, Ministry of Interior, Customs Control Committee, and National Security Committee. U.S. participants included Nancy Langston, OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor, U.S. Embassy Kyrgyzstan; Heather Schmidt, Trial Attorney, National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice; James Warwick, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of ASTANA 00001376 002.2 OF 002 Maryland; John Burgess, Senior Special Agent and Assistant ICE Attache, U.S. Embassy Singapore; and Olga Kalashnikova, OPDAT Program Analyst for Counterterrorism Programs. ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶10. None ¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE ¶11. The Regional Procurement Support Office/Frankfurt (RPSO) is working on the procurement of three (3) portable modular shelter complexes valued at $850,000 for the Kazakhstani Border Guard Service. The Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative (NSOI) has provided an additional $300,000 in funding to be added to this contract for procurement of an additional portable modular shelter complex in support of the Kazakhstan Green Border Project. ¶12. The Regional Procurement Support Office/Frankfurt (RPSO) is working on the procurement of six (6) x-ray screening systems valued at $625,000 for the Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee. ¶13. The Astana General Services Office is working on the procurement of 85 laptops and nine (9) power point projectors with screens valued at $75,000 for the Kazakhstani Border Guard Service's Training Centers. ¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY ¶14. None ¶F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION ¶15. The EXBS advisor notified Shewit Habtemichael, U.S. Coast Guard International Affairs, that the Ambassador has decided that no U.S. Government funds should be expended to repair the "Sea Ark," a 42-foot vessel donated in 1996 to Kazakhstan's Maritime Border Guards. III. RED FLAG ISSUES: ¶16. None HOAGLAND