KAZAKHSTAN: RECOMMENDATION THAT WE NOT DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASTANA 000261 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE, SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL AORC ICJ KV KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: RECOMMENDATION THAT WE NOT DEMARCHE GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO REF: STATE 11928 Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland, 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In response to reftel, post recommends that we not demarche the Kazakhstani government to recognize Kosovo at this juncture. If not counterproductive, such a demarche would certainly be futile, and viewed by the Kazakhstanis as inconsistent with our demarches urging that they not recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia. ¶2. (C) In the lead up to Kosovo's declaration of independence in February 2008, Foreign Minister Tazhin did tell us that while Kazakhstan would not be among the first countries to recognize Kosovo, it would not be among the last either. However, the situation has changed dramatically since then because of the Georgia war and its aftermath. The Kazakhstanis are now in no position to consider recognizing Kosovo, given that they have resisted intense Russian pressure in refusing to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia. HOAGLAND