KAZAKHSTAN STILL MULLING UN IRAN RESOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASTANA 002051 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2019 TAGS: PHUM UNGA PREL IR KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN STILL MULLING UN IRAN RESOLUTION REFTEL: STATE 116263 Classified By: Charge d' affaires, a. i. Pamela Spratlen: 1.4 (b), (d) ¶1. (SBU) On November 17, PolOff met with Assel Utegenova, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation Division, to deliver reftel points on country-specific resolutions at the United Nations. Utegenova conveyed that Kazakhstan is still considering its position on the Iran country-specific resolution. On the no-action motion, she confirmed that the Government of Kazakhstan is considering moving from support to abstention. She said the Foreign Ministry has faced "heavy lobbying from various interests" on the issue, presumably from the Iranian mission. In considering its position, the MFA must weigh not only the country's geographical proximity to Iran, but also Kazakhstan's 2011 chairmanship of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),she stressed. "We are both Muslim-majority countries," she remarked. PolOff noted that before its OIC chairmanship, Kazakhstan will chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010. Poloff stressed that a "no" vote on the no-action motion and a "yes" vote on the resolution condemning Iran's human rights record would demonstrate Kazakhstan's commitment to OSCE principles. "This is one aspect we are considering," responded Utegenova. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: The Charge will reinforce our points when she meets with President Nazarbayev's foreign policy advisor Kairat Sarybai later this week. Considering President Nazarbayev's long-standing policy of balancing competing interests and Iran's apparent activism on the issue, it is unlikely that Kazakhstan will reverse its past voting record and support the country-specific resolution that condemns Iran's human rights record. On the other hand, the government appears open to abstaining on the no-action motion. We should continue to pursue this opening. END COMMENT. SPRATLEN