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

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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.

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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