KAZAKHSTAN BREAKS THE DEADLOCK TO APPOINT A NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L USOSCE 000066

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2020
TAGS: PHUM PREL OSCE BK KZ RS
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN BREAKS THE DEADLOCK TO APPOINT A NEW
REPRESENTATIVE FOR FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Carol Fuller for reasons 4.(b)&(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Russian Federation (RF) officially
withdrew its candidate for the position of OSCE
Representative for Freedom of the Media (RFoM) February 25,
opening the door for the appointment of the Bosnian candidate
- the overwhelming favorite of the participating States.
Although the RF had been holding firm on its candidate,
direct intervention by Kazakhstani Foreign Minister (FM)
Saudabayev to RF FM Lavrov February 22 in Astana is believed
to have broken the deadlock. The Kazakhstani Chairman in
Office (CiO) deserves credit for appropriately resolving an
early challenge to his leadership by ratifying the desires of
the overwhelming majority of OSCE states in the face of
isolated RF opposition. Procedures are currently underway to
appoint Dunja Mijatovic to replace Miklos Haraszti as RFoM.
End Summary.


2. (SBU) The term of the current OSCE RFoM, Miklos Haraszti,
is due to expire on March 10. Out of an original seven
candidates put forward by participating States, Bosnian Dunja
Mijatovic, currently Director of Broadcasting at the
Communications Regulatory Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
emerged as the overwhelming favorite. All other
participating States, save the RF, had agreed to withdraw
their candidates in order to nominate Mijatovic by consensus.
Even though the RF was aware that its candidate, Mikhail
Fedotov, currently Executive Secretary of the Russian Union
of Journalists, did not garner enough support to challenge
Mijatovic, the RF refused to withdraw his candidacy. As
such, there was the possibility that the process would have
to be renewed and the position of RFoM would remain vacant
after the expiration of Haraszti's term.


3. (C) After constant urging of the U.S. and other
delegations to the OSCE, as well as by Washington
stakeholders, FM Saudabayev, currently CiO of the OSCE, made
the issue his top priority during meetings with FM Lavrov
February 22 in Astana, according to CiO Representative
Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov. It appears that Saudabayev's
direct intervention to Lavrov finally broke the deadlock.
Kazakhstan deserves credit for resolving this early challenge
to its leadership by taking aboard the desires of the
overwhelming majority of OSCE participating States rather
than caving to the opposition of an isolated RF.


4. (U) A draft Ministerial Council Decision (MCD) appointing
Mijatovic to a three-year term as RFoM was distributed to
delegations February 26. A silence procedure to approve the
MCD, if adopted by the March 3 Permanent Council, would
expire on March 10, officially appointing the new RFoM.


5. (C) Comment: Convincing the RF to withdraw its candidate
for RFoM was seen as a major "test" of Kazakhstan's
leadership ability at the helm of the OSCE - and Kazakhstan
passed, thanks to FM Saudabayev's intervention with FM
Lavrov. The fact that Kazakhstan succeeded is seen by many
delegations in Vienna, including us, as a highly positive
sign that Kazakhstan is assuming its leadership role. There
is however a widespread belief that the RF exacted a "price"
for withdrawing its candidate. OSCE Secretary General (SG)
de Brichambaut (protect) told Charge February 26 that the
price was for Russia to get the deputy slot to the RFoM,
currently held by a Swiss, slated to become vacant in
October. The decision on deputy positions in the Secretariat
are made by the Director (i.e., Mijatovic) and confirmed by
the CiO, and the SG believes that some deal may have been cut
with both.
FULLER