(U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING JANUARY -

S E C R E T STATE 030895 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2034 TAGS: PINR KZ SUBJECT: (U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING JANUARY - MARCH 2009 REF: A. ASTANA 000094 ¶B. ASTANA 000146 ¶C. ASTANA 000150 ¶D. ASTANA 000193 ¶E. ASTANA 000264 ¶F. ASTANA 000308 ¶G. ASTANA 000352 ¶H. ASTANA 000372 ¶I. ASTANA 000430 ¶J. ASTANA 000435 Classified By: SUZANNE MCCORMICK, DIR., INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C). ¶1. (C) INR/B CONTINUES TO BE AMAZED AND PLEASED WITH THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING PRODUCED BY POST. INR/B RELIES HEAVILY ON POST,S REPORTING IN PULLING TOGETHER BIOGRAPHIC REPORTS ON KAZAKHSTANI OFFICIALS FOR USE BY US POLICYMAKERS. REFS A-J AMOUNT TO MERELY A SAMPLE OF POST,S OUTSTANDING REPORTING ON KAZAKHSTANI OFFICIALS. ¶A. (S) INR/B APPRECIATED THE LANGUAGE ON PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV,S APPEARANCE AND DEMEANOR ) &NAZARBAYEV LOOKED AS FIT AS EVER AND WAS VERY WELL-BRIEFED, DISCUSSING DETAILS OF THE U.S.-KAZAKHSTAN MILITARY RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT NOTES8 -- IN REF A (&KAZAKHSTAN: CENTCOM CDR PETRAEUS MEETS PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV, JANUARY 148). THE INFORMATION THAT NAZARBAYEV &SEES HIMSELF AS AN INTERNATIONAL STATESMAN8 TRACKS WELL WITH OTHER REPORTING ON THE KAZAKHSTANI PRESIDENT. ¶B. (SBU) REF B (&KAZAKHSTAN: MINISTER OF FINANCE PROMISES ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAW IN FIRST QUARTER OF 20098) PROVIDED A HELPFUL READOUT ON MINISTER ZHAMISHEV AS &PROFESSIONAL, POLITE, AND EXTREMELY WELL-PREPARED FOR THE MEETING.8 ¶C. (SBU) SIMILARLY, REF C (&KAZAKHSTAN: MINISTER OF ECONOMY SUPPORTS CLOSER COOPERATION WITH U.S. GOVERNMENT8) INCLUDED DETAILED INFORMATION ON MINISTER SULTANOV,S PERSONALITY, APPEARANCE, EDUCATION, CAREER BACKGROUND, AND ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CAPABILITY. ¶D. (SBU) THE PROFILE OF IMANGALI TASMAGAMBETOV IN REF D (&KAZAKHSTAN: ASTANA MAYOR TASMAGAMBETOV DETAILS PLANS FOR CITY, ARGUES KAZAKHSTAN HAS COME A LONG WAY8) MESHES WELL WITH INR/B,S TAKE ON THE MAYOR. ¶E. (C) REF E (&KAZAKHSTAN: MFA OFFICIAL SAYS FM TAZHIN WILL BE REPLACED IN THE COMING MONTHS8) NOT ONLY PROVIDED INTERESTING RUMORS ON TAZHIN,S NEXT ASSIGNMENT, BUT ALSO A FASCINATING LOOK AT MFA OFFICIAL TALGAT KALIYEV. ¶F. (SBU) INR/B APPRECIATED THE BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON ZAGIPA BALIYEVA, INCLUDING HER PASSION FOR PARACHUTE JUMPING, IN REF F (&KAZAKHSTAN: JUSTICE MINISTER BALIYEVA EXPRESSES APPRECIATION FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE8). ¶G. (SBU) REF G (&KAZAKHSTAN: KMG,S IDENOV ENTERTAINS, REVEALS8) OFFERED OUTSTANDING LANGUAGE ON IDENOV,S INTERPERSONAL STYLE, INCLUDING HIS &CHARACTERISTIC CANDOR AND DRAMATIC FLAIR.8 ¶H. (C) LIKE POST, INR/B FOUND YERTYSBAYEV,S OVERVIEW OF KAZAKHSTANI POLITICS IN REF H (&KAZAKHSTAN: PRESIDENT ADVISOR YERTYSBAYEV SUPPORTS EARLY ELECTIONS, DIALOGUE WITH OPPOSITION8) &FRANK AND FREE-WHEELING.8 INR/B ESPECIALLY VALUED YERTYSBAYEV,S TAKE ON HOW NAZARBAYEV,S SOVIET-ERA EXPERIENCE HAD SHAPED HIM AS A LEADER. ¶I. (SBU) INR/B GREATLY APPRECIATED THE BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON INFLUENTIAL OILMEN YERMEK MARABAYEV AND ZHAKYP MARABAYEV AND THEIR FATHER NASIBKALI MARABAYEV IN REF I (&KAZAKHSTAN: THE HIGH-FLYING MARABAYEV BROTHERS ARE A FORCE IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY8). ¶J. (C) REF J (&KAZAKHSTAN: DFM ZHIGALOV SAYS KAZAKHSTAN WOULD WELCOME POTUS VISIT, EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT WTO TALKS8) PROVIDED EXCELLENT BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON NEW DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER KONSTANTIN ZHIGALOV, INCLUDING HIS ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CAPABILITY AND HIS RUSSIAN ETHNICITY. ¶2. (SBU) THANKS AGAIN. INR/B LOOKS FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL REPORTING ON KAZAKHSTANI OFFICIALS FROM POST. CLINTON