KAZAKHSTAN HAS NO PROBLEM WITH INAUGURAL FLIGHT OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASTANA 001767 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RUS, PM E.O. 12958: 10/02/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL RU KZ KG UA PL SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN HAS NO PROBLEM WITH INAUGURAL FLIGHT OF U.S.-RUSSIA TRANSIT AGREEMENT REFTEL: SECSTATE 102553 Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (B),(D) ¶1. (C) On October 2, the Ambassador informed Kazakhstan's Security Council Secretary and Assistant to the President, Marat Tazhin, that the inaugural flight of the U.S.-Russia transit agreement would likely occur on October 5 (reftel). The Ambassador emphasized that the U.S. government is maintaining its commitment to Kazakhstan to remain transparent about its relationship with Russia. He confirmed that the long-standing U.S.-Kazakhstan blanket overflight agreement (but ratified by Kazakhstan's Parliament only in 2008) covers the intended flight path planned for the inaugural flight. If the United States determines that it needs a new or additional flight path in the future, it will pursue an amendment to the agreement. When Tazhin asked, the Ambassador affirmed that the existing agreement covers all legal issues of the upcoming flight and highlighted that more than 8,000 flights have occurred without one single incident. ¶2. (C) Tazhin responded that he would immediately prepare a letter to the Prime Minister to underline the lack of legal concerns and the long-standing nature of the program. He requested immediate notification should the plane need a new path, and full communication with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense. A very relaxed Tazhin commented that this inaugural flight seems to be a bit of "political psychology" in the U.S.-Russia relationship and implied that he approved. HOAGLAND