KAZAKHSTAN: SENATE CHAIRMAN INVITES AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000054 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RPM, S/SRAP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE AF KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: SENATE CHAIRMAN INVITES AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE TO OSCE FORUM ASTANA 00000054 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs forwarded via diplomatic note an invitation from Kazakhstani Senate Chairman Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev to U.S. Special Representative Richard Holbrooke to participate in the Second Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum entitled "The OSCE Eurasian Dimension." Co-organized by Kazakhstan and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the forum will take place in Almaty May 14-15. The English-language text of the letter is below, and a copy of the invitation, along with a proposed agenda, will be forwarded to the desk. Post would appreciate the Department's assistance in passing the information to Special Representative Holbrooke. ¶3. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER: Astana, December 15, 2009 Your Excellency, It gives me a great pleasure to extend my highest consideration and best regards to you on behalf of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. I am following with keen interest your activities as United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan and wish you success in bringing stability in that region. As you are well aware, next year Kazakhstan will assume the presidency in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It's a huge privilege and great responsibility for my country since Kazakhstan is the first among CIS member-states, also Asian countries and the Muslim world, to lead this huge Organization. In its new capacity Kazakhstan will remain strongly committed to the principles and objectives of the OSCE that we have always been adhering to. At the same time we are of a view that it is extremely important to enhance OSCE involvement in the Eurasian security architecture. There can be no doubt that the regional stability and fight against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, organized crime and trafficking in human beings will gain full support of all the OSCE countries and our Asian and Mediterranean Partners. To continue full-pledged assistance to Afghanistan in its economic reconstruction in close cooperation with local authorities and international community is a matter of primary importance for Kazakhstan. Engagement of OSCE will become an additional and efficient way to coordinate the joint efforts to ensure security and stability in Afghanistan. Thus during its Presidency of the OSCE, Kazakhstan is determined to make sure that every effort is undertaken to respectively respond to those challenges. In light of Kazakhstan's OSCE Chairmanship in 2010, our Parliament in cooperation with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will host in Almaty on 14-15 May 2010 the Second Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum entitled "The OSCE Eurasian Dimension." Parliamentary delegations from the OSCE participating States, Asian and Mediterranean Partner countries, including Afghanistan, and also parliamentarians from China, India and Pakistan are invited to this conference to discuss pressing issues on regional security, economic and environmental developments as well as human dimension. Taking into consideration your rich experience as a prominent politician and expert on Eurasian affairs who has a view and understanding of various regional security aspects, I have the honor to invite you to participate in this forum as a keynote speaker. I am confident that your presentation and analyses will be of great interest for the delegations of the parliamentary conference and contribute to the lively discussion on regional issues. ASTANA 00000054 002.2 OF 002 Please be advised that your travel by business-class flight and accommodation expenses will be borne by the Kazakh Parliament. I look forward to welcoming you in Almaty next May. Yours sincerely, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. END TEXT. HOAGLAND