(U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING APRIL - JUNE

S E C R E T STATE 073196 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2034 TAGS: PINR KZ SUBJECT: (U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING APRIL - JUNE 2009 REF: A. ASTANA 000623 ¶B. ASTANA 000629 ¶C. ASTANA 000714 ¶D. ASTANA 000728 ¶E. ASTANA 000825 ¶F. ASTANA 000943 ¶G. ASTANA 001000 ¶H. ASTANA 001006 ¶I. ASTANA 001029 Classified By: MICHAEL P. OWENS, ACTING DIR, INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C). ¶1. (C) INR/B WISHES TO THANK POST FOR ITS BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING. INR/B RELIES HEAVILY ON POST,S REPORTING IN PULLING TOGETHER BIOGRAPHIC REPORTS ON KAZAKHSTANI OFFICIALS FOR US POLICYMAKERS. REFS A-J REPRESENT POST,S OUTSTANDING REPORTING ON KAZAKHSTANI OFFICIALS. ¶A. (C) INR/B APPRECIATED THE BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON CHAIRMAN OF KAZAKHSTAN,S CUSTOM CONTROL COMMITTEE KOZY-KORPESH KARBUZOV IN REF A (&KAZAKHSTAN: U.S. ASSISTANCE HELPS CUSTOMS CONTROL COMMITTEE COMBAT CORRUPTION8). ¶B. (SBU) SIMILARLY, REF B (&KAZAKHSTAN: NEW SUPREME COURT CHAIRMAN TALKS JUSTICE WITH JUDGE PAUL MAGNUSON8) PROVIDED GOOD BACKGROUND ON MUSABEK ALIMBEKOV AND WHAT HIS APPOINTMENT MEANS FOR JUDICIAL REFORM IN KAZAKHSTAN AND FOR COOPERATION WITH U.S. ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. ¶C. (C) REF C (&KAZAKHSTANI FM TAZHIN,S PRIORITIES FOR HIS WASHINGTON TRIP, MAY 4-58) INCLUDED OUTSTANDING LANGUAGE ON TAZHIN,S STANDING AND OPERATING STYLE ) A &KEY MEMBER OF THE PROGRESSIVE CAMP8 AND A &CONSUMMATE PRACTITIONER OF THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE.,8 ¶D. (S) REF D (&KAZAKHSTAN: ASD BENKERT PRESSES FOR NONPROLIFERATION PROGRESS8) PROVIDED GOOD ATMOSPHERICS ON THE MEETINGS. INR/B ESPECIALLY APPRECIATED POST,S READOUT ON HEALTH MINISTER ZHAKSYLYK DOSKALIYEV ) &NOT UNUSUAL FOR MINISTER DOSKALIYEV, HE HAD NOT MASTERED HIS BRIEFINGS AND WAS POMPOUS WITH HIS STAFF WHEN THEY VENTURED TO CORRECT HIM.8 ¶E. (SBU) REF E (&KAZAKHSTAN: PETROCHEMICAL PROPOSAL ATTRACTS INVESTORS8) NICELY ILLUSTRATED THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN KAZAKHSTAN,S RECEPTIVENESS TO INVESTMENT FROM CHINA WITH THE SUSPICIOUS ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHINESE THAT IS HELD BY SOME KAZAKHSTANI OFFICIALS. ¶F. (SBU) REF F (&KAZAKHSTAN: CHANGES AND CHARGES AT KAZATOMPROM8) NOT ONLY OFFERED INTERESTING DATA POINTS ON WHAT MAY BE BEHIND THE ARREST OF MUKHTAR DZHAKISHEV, BUT ALSO PROVIDED EXCELLENT LANGUAGE ON THE CAREER BACKGROUND, EXPERTISE, AND FAMILY CONNECTIONS TO RUSSIAN OFFICIALS OF KAZATOMPROM,S NEW HEAD VLADIMIR SHKOLNIK. ¶G. (C) AS WITH REF C, REF G (&KAZAKHSTAN: FOREIGN MINISTER ON NONPROLIFERATION ISSUES, AFGHANISTAN, OSCE, WTO; U.S.-KAZAKHSTAN COMMISSION8) INCLUDED HELPFUL INFORMATION ON TAZHIN,S STANDING IN ASTANA,S POLICYMAKING CIRCLES ) &TAZHIN EXPENDED CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL CAPITAL WHILE PLAYING A KEY ROLE TO RESOLVE THE PEACE CORPS CASE8 AND &HE IS DISPLAYING A FAIR DEGREE OF PERSONAL CAUTION, EVEN WHILE CONTINUING TO GET WORK ACCOMPLISHED.8 ¶H. (C) REF H (&KAZAKHSTAN: KEY MAJILIS LEADER NAMED AMBASSADOR TO IRAN, DISCUSSES INTERNET LAW, ALIYEV CASE, EARLY ELECTIONS8) PROVIDED GOOD DATA POINTS ON NURBAKH RUSTEMOV,S ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CAPABILITY AND FAMILY. REF H ALSO OFFERED GOOD EXAMPLES OF THE WILD SPECULATION SURROUNDING PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV,S DISGRACED FORMER SON-IN-LAW RAKHAT ALIYEV. ¶I. (S) REF I (&KAZAKHSTAN: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IN PEACE CORPS CASE OVER, VOLUNTEER DEPARTS COUNTRY8) INCLUDED HELPFUL LANGUAGE ON PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV ) &HE WAS LIKELY THE DECIDER, SIDING WITH HIS MORE PROGRESSIVE ADVISERS.8 ¶2. (SBU) MANY THANKS AGAIN. INR/B LOOKS FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL REPORTING ON KAZAKHSTANI OFFICIALS FROM POST. CLINTON