KAZAKHSTAN: FM SAUDABAYEV ON IRAN, OSCE SUMMIT,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001772 SIPDIS STATE FOR P (STEPHEN MULL),SCA/CEN, NEA/IR, ISN/RA, EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM MNUC MARR KNNP OSCE UZ KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: FM SAUDABAYEV ON IRAN, OSCE SUMMIT, "NEW U.S. MILITARY BASE IN UZBEKISTAN" REF: A. SECSTATE 103219 ¶B. SECSTATE 100153 ¶C. ASTANA 1765 ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: During a meeting with the Ambassador on October 5, State Secretary and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev: -- reaffirmed that Kazakhstan fully supports the U.S. position on Iran and reported that he personally had made the case to Foreign Minister Manoucher Motakki -- "based on your points" -- during their bilateral meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York; -- emphasized that Kazakhstan is determined to hold an OSCE summit during its chairmanship in 2010 and wants the United States to be its fullest partner on setting the agenda; -- reminded that Kazakhstan has requested a Washington day and White House meeting for President Nazarbayev before or after the Global Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010; -- warmly praised Secretary of State Clinton, with whom he had had a bilateral meeting in New York during the UN General Assembly, for her total understanding of the issues, her candor, her deft touch, and her charm; and -- asked in private if it is true that the United States is establishing a military based at Navoi in Uzbekistan. END SUMMARY. KAZAKHSTAN FULLY SUPPORTS THE U.S. POSITION ON IRAN ¶2. (C) The Ambassador delivered the demarches in retels A and B to State Secretary and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev on October 5. Saudabayev had just returned from representing Kazakhstan at the UN General Assembly and immediately after that accompanied President Nazarbayev to Baku. In reply to the request that Kazakhstan continue to press Iran in private and, as appropriate, make firm public statements opposing Iran's nuclear-weapon ambitions, Saudabayev replied, "Our position is well-known to you and matches yours." Saudabayev said he had met in New York with Iran's Foreign Minister Manoucher Motakki and had told him no one doubts Iran's right to have a peaceful nuclear energy program, but it must be conducted under international nuclear safeguards. Saudabayev said he urged Iran to follow Kazakhstan's example and give up all nuclear weapons ambitions, "for the benefit of the nation." He assured Motakki that Iran would then have access to international �A;nuclear fuel banks for peaceful nuclear purposes. KAZAKHSTAN IS DETERMINED TO HOLD AN OSCE SUMMIT IN 2010 ¶3. (C) Saudabayev praised his bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Clinton. He reviewed the issues they had discussed and focused primarily on Kazakhstan's pending 2010 OSCE chairmanship. He said he knew perfectly well that Kazakhstan wouldn't have gained this honor if the United States hadn't approved. He and President Nazarbayev are determined to consult as closely as possible with the United States -- "We will rely on your advice and fulfil your wishes." He reiterated that Kazakhstan is determined to give equal weight to all three OSCE dimensions, and "will not be swayed by Russia or China." ¶4. (C) Saudabayev said that Kazakhstan is determined to hold during its chairmanship the first OSCE summit in 10 years. He said that Clinton had not expressed opposition, and that after many meetings with European ministers in New York -- none had opposed Kazakhstan's desire for a summit -- he felt "more confident" that it will happen. Saudabayev said he ASTANA 00001772 002 OF 002 wants the United States to jointly, with Kazakhstan, determine the agenda for the summit and named as possible issues Afghanistan, religious tolerance, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and building bridges between East and West. Saudabayev asked that SCA DAS George Krol be prepared to present the U.S. short list of approved summit issues when he visits Astana at the end of October. GLOBAL NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT ¶5. (C) Without overly pressing his case, Saudabayev reminded the Ambassador that President Nazarbayev would appreciate a separate day in Washington, with a White House meeting, around the time of the Global Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010. "We will be flexible. We could come early, or we could stay late." He said he understood that such scheduling decisions can be long and drawn out, but he remains optimistic. PRIVATE PULL-ASIDE ¶6. (SBU) In a separate pull-aside at the end of the formal meeting, the dead-tired Saudabayev perked up and animatedly expressed his personal delight at his meeting with Secretary Clinton. He enthused about her total understanding of the issues, her candor, her deft touch, and her charm. ¶7. (C) Turning more serious, Saudabayev said, "We have information that you are establishing a new military base at Navoi in Uzbekistan. If that's your plan, why not simply return to Karshi Khanabad where you were before?" The Ambassador assured Saudabayev that his information is dead wrong. The United States is not, repeat not, establishing a military base in Uzbekistan. The airport at Navoi is simply an element of the fully transparent Northern Distribution Network to supply U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan. HOAGLAND