CHARGE FULLER MEETS KAZAKHSTAN DFM ZHIGALOV

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000187

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/RPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2019
TAGS: AF KZ OSCE PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: CHARGE FULLER MEETS KAZAKHSTAN DFM ZHIGALOV

Classified By: Charge d,Affaires, a.i., Carol S. Fuller for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d)

SUMMARY
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1. (C) In an August 20 meeting with Charge d'Affaires Fuller,
Kazakhstani Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantin Zhigalov
reiterated his country's priorities in anticipation of its
2010 role as OSCE Chair-in-Office (CIO),including focusing
on frozen conflicts, the Corfu process, energy,
transportation, tolerance, and Afghanistan. Zhigalov said
Kazakhstan was considering hosting a Corfu-like meeting on
European Security in mid-2010; he added that the level had
not been determined. He noted that Kazakhstan will likely
appoint Special Representatives for Transportation, Ecology,
and the Balkans and will place new emphasis on the OSCE's
Asian partners. Zhigalov said Kazakhstan was in a unique
position to understand Georgia because both countries used to
belong to one state and because Kazakhstan remained one of
Georgia's largest investors. He said Kazakhstan intended to
consult with Georgia and Russia on a possible way forward.
Zhigalov was in town to consult with the Secretariat and key
missions, including the USG, Russia, and Germany. End
Summary.


2. (C) Zhigalov told Charge that he is in town for meetings
with the OSCE Secretariat and several other delegations,
including the Russians and the Germans. He also said that he
plans to meet with the Georgian and Russian Deputy Foreign
Ministers in the near future. Zhigalov explained the
structure of Kazakhstan's approach to being CIO: the OSCE
Task Force, with headquarters in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, will oversee the work of the recently established
State Commission. The Commission is designed, in part, to
integrate other ministries, serving to make the Chairmanship
a shared responsibility throughout the government.

EUROPEAN SECURITY
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3. (C) Zhigalov said the OSCE's First Dimension (hard
security) "is not an easy one," but required "a fresh
breath." Recognizing the efforts of the Greek CIO to address
European Security through the Corfu Process, Zhigalov said he
hoped the this Fall's "second stage" meetings would bear
fruit, enabling the third stage to be ready to move forward
as Kazakhstan begins its Chairmanship. Commenting with
approval on the 'informal modalities' of the Corfu Process,
Zhigalov said the Kazakhstanis may wish to hold a similar
meeting in Kazakhstan next year - particularly given the
upcoming thirty-fifth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.
He added that President Sarkozy will be in Kazakhstan in
October and the Kazakhstanis intend to raise the issue of
European Security with him at that time. In response, we
underscored that the USG sees European Security as
comprehensive, including all three dimensions, and not
limited to the First Dimension. We added that any third
stage would have to be content driven and subsequent meetings
would depend on what would be achieved in the current round
of discussions.

SPECIAL REPS FOR TRANSPORTATION, ECOLOGY, AND THE BALKANS
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4. (C) Charge commented that it was as important to be a good
chair as being the first Asian country to hold the CIO
position and offered American support and assistance in any
area Kazakhstan wanted. Zhigalov (half jokingly) responded
that it would be easier to identify the areas where the
Kazakhstanis do not need help. He said Kazakhstan would have
a 'special focus" on the Second Dimension - particularly in
the areas of energy and transportation. Identifying
Kazakhstan as the largest land-locked country on earth, he
said the new CIO would likely appoint a Special
Representative on transportation issues during its
chairmanship. He said Kazakhstan was considering and would
likely appoint a Lithuanian to act in this capacity.
Zhigalov also said the new CIO would likely also appoint a
Special Representative on Ecological issues as well as on
Balkan matters.

AFGHANISTAN
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4. (C) Zhigalov said Afghanistan would be the Kazakhstani
Chair's main First Dimension priority. He outlined
Kazakhstan's planned USD 50 million educational program for
Afghanistan that will extend beyond Kazakhstan's time as CIO

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and said the Foreign Minister would travel to Afghanistan
soon to discuss the project with his counterpart there.
"Afghanistan is a huge problem for the whole region," he
said, adding that Kazakhstan is "ready to cooperate with the
U.S. on this matter." He said Kazakhstan's concern about the
problems in Afghanistan predates September 11, 2001, and his
government is pleased with the attention being given to these
problems.


RUSSIAN RELATIONS
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5. (C) Charge reminded Zhigalov that the USG hoped to see
leadership from Kazakhstan during their Chairmanship,
particularly in the realm of U.S.-Russian relations, rather
than a knee-jerk effort to 'split the difference' between
Russia and the overwhelming majority on some issues, such as
Georgia. Zhigalov commented that Kazakhstan understood the
need to respect all nations of the OSCE and not simply the
biggest players, recognizing virtual consensus is often
blocked by the Russians and one or two Russian allies. He
noted with approval Russian efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh. On
Georgia, Zhigalov said "I'd like you to be in our shoes." He
said Kazakhstan was in a unique position to understand the
issue because both countries used to belong to one state and
because Kazakhstan remained one of Georgia's largest
investors.

HUMAN DIMENSION ISSUES
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6. (C) On the Human Dimension, Charge commented that every
step forward would be seen favorably by the world community -
particularly in areas where Kazakhstan had been recently
criticized: its internet law and the sentencing of journalist
Ramazan Yesergepov. Zhigalov did not respond. He did
however, say that Kazakhstan intended to place interethnic
and interreligious dialogue at the top of its third dimension
priorities - although not at the price of sacrificing basic
human rights issues.


A NEW EMPHASIS ON ASIAN PARTNERS
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8. (C) Zhigalov pointed out that Kazakhstan is the first
Asian country to assume the OSCE chair. For this reason, he
said Kazakhstan would place greater emphasis on their Asian
partners - as Greece had done with its Mediterranean partners
during its year as CIO. Charge pointed out that Kazakhstan's
chairmanship provides an opportunity to set a leadership
example for the Central Asian region, as well as focus
attention on it.

COMMENT
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9. Zhigalov's remarks on a high-level meeting to mark the
"third stage" of the Corfu Process indicate that Kazakhstan
is still thinking about holding a ministerial - or even a
summit in Astana on security architecture sometime during
their chairmanship. On the margins of the meeting we asked
Zhigalov if they had a summit in mind; he responded that the
whole concept was still under consideration.
FULLER