KAZAKHSTAN: PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR SARYBAY SAYS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000604

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/A, NEA/IR, ISN, CA/OCS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2034
TAGS: PREL PGOV CASC MARR KNNP IAEA AF IR KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR SARYBAY SAYS
AHMADINEJAD WELCOMED OBAMA,S PRAGUE SPEECH

REF: A. ASTANA 0601

B. ASTANA 0557

C. STATE 31102

D. ASTANA 0547 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (S) SUMMARY: On April 8, Presidential Foreign Policy
Advisor Kairat Sarybay gave the Ambassador a readout of
President Nazarbayev's April 6 meeting with Iranian President
Ahmadinejad. Sarybay said that Ahmadinejad appeared to
welcome President Obama's April 5 Prague speech. Ahmadinejad
maintained that he had taken the first step, by writing a
letter to Obama. The Kazakhstanis believe that U.S.
cooperation with Iran in Afghanistan could lead to
cooperation in other areas. Sarybay explained that
Nazarbayev's March 30 comment to the Ambassador that
Kazakhstan could provide a "logistical base" for Afghanistan
meant that Kazakhstan could be a storage location and source
for supplies to the Coalition, in addition to being a transit
country. The Ambassador raised ref C demarche requesting
specific Kazakhstani contributions to Afghanistan; Sarybay
promised to review the request. Sarybay recommended
remaining in close touch with the MFA about the case of Peace
Corps volunteer Anthony Sharp. END SUMMARY.

AHMADINEJAD APPEARED TO WELCOME PRAGUE SPEECH


2. (S) On April 8, Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Kairat
Sarybay gave the Ambassador a readout of President
Nazarbayev's April 6 meeting in Astana with Iranian President
Ahmadinejad. (NOTE: See ref A for State Secretary
Saudabayev's readout of the meeting. END NOTE.) Sarybay
explained, "It was interesting to speak with Ahmadinejad.
He'll most probably be re-elected, but he was modest about
it, saying 'Let's see what the Iranian people will do.'"
According to Sarybay, the Kazakhstanis were worried that
Ahmadinejad would misuse his Astana visit as a platform "for
other claims" (NFI, but likely this means inappropriate
public statements or outbursts),but this didn't come to
pass.


3. (S) Sarybay said that Ahmadinejad welcomed efforts to
increase Kazakhstan-Iran trade -- including Kazakhstani wheat
exports to Iran -- and to develop the necessary transport
infrastructure for this. It was the Iranian side, he
explained, that had proposed building a railway from western
Kazakhstan through Turkmenistan to Iran. There are also
plans to build a roadway parallel to the rail line, Sarybay
added, looking a little skeptical.


4. (S) Sarybay said that while he would not describe
Ahmadinejad as "very optimistic," he nevertheless appeared to
welcome President Obama's April 5 Prague speech. According
to Sarybay, Ahmadinejad said, "I took the first step, despite
domestic pressure. I wrote to Obama. We are ready (NFI)."
Explaining that while Ahmadinejad was cautious, Sarybay
nevertheless read the situation as "promising," though
perhaps not leading to immediate negotiations. The
Kazakhstanis asked Ahmadinejad whether both sides -- the
United States and Iran -- are ready for a meeting between the
Secretary and Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki. "Ahmadinejad
turned to Mottaki and asked, 'Are you ready?'; Mottaki
silently shook his head yes." Nazarbayev and Ahmadinejad
agreed that Kazakhstan and Iran need to be more involved in
Afghanistan. "If the United States and the West can
cooperate more with Iran in Afghanistan, this should lead to
more cooperation in other areas, including non-proliferation,
and all the countries in the region will benefit," Sarybay
argued to the Ambassador.

NUCLEAR FUEL BANK

ASTANA 00000604 002 OF 002




5. (C) Sarybay noted that during the Ahmadinejad visit,
Nazarbayev had announced Kazakhstan's offer to host the
Nuclear Threat Initiative's IAEA-supervised international
nuclear fuel bank. The Ambassador explained that he had
discussed the issue with State Secretary Saudabayev on April
7 (ref A). He said the United States welcomes the proposal
in principle, and that we are in the process of providing
Saudabayev with our formal response.

CLARIFICATION OF "LOGISTICAL BASE" REMARKS


6. (C) The Ambassador asked Sarybay to clarify a remark from
his March 30 meeting with Nazarbayev, when Nazarbayev said
that Kazakhstan could provide a "logistical base" for
Afghanistan (see refs A and B). Sarybay said that as far as
he understood, this meant that Kazakhstan could be a storage
location and source for supplies for the Coalition in
Afghanistan, in addition to being a transit country. He
admitted that Nazarbayev had been thinking out loud when he
suggested this concept.

SPECIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO AFGHANISTAN


7. (C) Per ref C, the Ambassador raised with Sarybay the U.S.
government's Afghanistan-Pakistan strategic review, and
provided him with non-papers on the review and our request to
Kazakhstan for specific contributions to Afghanistan. The
Ambassador explained that we would also be raising this issue
with the MFA. Sarybay promised to review the request.

ANTHONY SHARP CASE


8. (C) The Ambassador thanked Sarybay for his advice
regarding the criminal case against Peace Corps volunteer
Anthony Sharp, explaining he had had a good conversation with
Nazarbayev about it on March 30 (ref D). Sarybay asked
whether the matter is now closed. The Ambassador responded
that we are just waiting for the courts to finish the
paperwork, and then we hope Sharp will be able to depart the
country. Sarybay recommended remaining in close touch with
the MFA about the case.
HOAGLAND