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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 002194 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, ECA, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SCUL KDEM KPAO KZ
SUBJECT:  KAZAKHSTAN:  INFORMATION AND CULTURE MINISTER SAYS 
KAZAKHSTAN WILL FULFILL MADRID COMMITMENTS 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  During a November 5 meeting, the Ambassador 
stressed to Information and Culture Minister Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed 
the importance of Kazakhstan's follow through on its Madrid 
commitments on democratic reform.  Kul-Mukhammed responded that all 
the necessary legislation will soon be introduced to parliament and 
will be adopted by year's end or, at the latest, by the beginning of 
¶2009.  The legislation will represent a step forward on 
democratization, but will not satisfy everyone, as laws have to be 
consistent with political and cultural realities, he argued. 
Kul-Mukhammed described the U.S. elections as a "shining example of 
U.S. democracy."  He welcomed the opportunity for more cooperation 
with the Embassy on cultural programs.  He also said that Astana's 
new concert hall, which will have seating for 3,500, will be 
completed in 2010.  END SUMMARY. 
 
MADRID COMMITMENTS 
 
¶3. (SBU) During a November 5 meeting, the Ambassador stressed to 
Information and Culture Minister Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed the 
importance of Kazakhstan's follow through on its Madrid commitments 
on democratic reform.  He suggested that timely adoption of the 
necessary legislation would further enhance President Nazarbayev's 
image as an international statesman. 
 
¶4. (SBU) In response, Kul-Mukhammed thanked the Ambassador for the 
U.S. government's support for Kazakhstan's selection as 2010 OSCE 
chairman, explaining that Kazakhstan's candidacy would not have 
succeeded without it.  He acknowledged that the chairmanship was 
both an honor and a responsibility.  Kazakhstan would not be 
successful as chairman in pressing other countries to take steps on 
democracy if it was not taking such steps itself, he argued. 
Regarding the Madrid commitments, Kul-Mukhammed said that the three 
pieces of draft legislation -- which would amend Kazakhstan's 
election, political party, and media laws -- have been reviewed 
within the government, and only small details remain to be 
finalized.  His ministry is responsible, together with the Ministry 
of Justice, for the media and political party legislation.  He 
expected that within two weeks, all the legislation will be ready 
for introduction to parliament.  He did not anticipate that 
parliament will make any significant changes and said that 
parliamentary approval of everything should occur by the end of the 
year or, at the latest, by the very beginning of 2009. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Kul-Mukhammed maintained that the legislative changes will 
represent a real step forward on democratization, but naturally will 
not satisfy everyone.  Laws have to be consistent with political and 
cultural realities, and suit a country and its citizens, he argued. 
Kazakhstan is well ahead of the other Central Asian countries in 
terms of democratic development, but is indisputably far behind the 
United States and Europe.  The mass media is a particularly 
sensitive issue, Kul-Mukhammed explained.  Terming the United States 
"a land of believers," he chose to point to the opening passage of 
the Gospel of John (i.e., "in the beginning there was the Word... 
and the Word was God") to stress that the media has a very strong 
influence on society, shaping public opinion and creating social 
harmony.  The political situation in Kazakhstan is a delicate one, 
and some things in the media can lead to conflict.  Kul-Mukhammed 
explained that he had recently had a roundtable with a group of 
journalists, including opposition journalists, and had told them 
that in an ideal world, there would be no need for Kazakhstan to 
have a Ministry of Information, but realities necessitate one. 
 
RUSSIAN MEDIA 
 
¶6. (SBU) Kul-Mukhammed noted that in a meeting several months 
previously, he and former U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan John Ordway 
had discussed the issue of Russian media domination in Kazakhstan. 
He explained to the Ambassador that if Kazakhstan tried to close off 
access to the Russian media, it would come under heavy criticism. 
That said, only one Russian television station -- ORT -- is 
permitted to broadcast without restrictions, while the others are 
subject to Kazakhstani content rules.  (NOTE:  In fact, it does not 
 
ASTANA 00002194  002 OF 002 
 
 
appear to us that any Russian television stations broadcasting to 
Kazakhstan have significant Kazakhstani content.  END NOTE.)   The 
Ambassador explained that a Russian-language version of BBC or CNN 
would provide Kazakhstani viewers with additional sources of 
information beyond Russian ones and thus improve the media 
environment.  Kul-Mukhammed responded that we should work together 
on this issue.  He also asked for assistance in building up 
Kazakhstan's CaspioNET satellite television to better broadcast 
information about Kazakhstan to other countries. 
 
U.S. ELECTIONS 
 
¶7. (SBU) Kul-Mukhammed congratulated the Ambassador on the U.S. 
elections.  He described them as an "unforgettable political show," 
and a "shining example of U.S. democracy and American patriotism" 
that showed that in the United States, anything is possible.  (NOTE: 
Kul-Mukhammed has children studying in the United States and hopes 
to send his other children to study there, too, once they are old 
enough.  END NOTE.) 
 
CULTURAL DIPLOMACY 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Ambassador praised the "cultural diplomacy" of 
Kazakhstani Ambasador to the United States Yerlan Idrissov, 
especially his efforts to promote Kazakhstani cooperation with the 
Smithsonian Institution.  He noted that American composer Anne 
LeBaron is composing a cantata about Kazakhstan that will be 
performed in Almaty in 2009 and is looking for Kazakhstani support 
for this project.  Kul-Mukhammed responded that Kazakhstan very much 
wants to promote its culture.  The country is very proud of its 
talented artists, many of whom perform abroad.  He assigned Vice 
Minister Askar Buribayev, who was also present in the meeting, to 
follow up on any cultural initiatives from the U.S. Embassy. 
 
ASTANA'S NEW CONCERT HALL 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Ambassador asked about the ongoing construction of 
Astana's new concert hall, which was visible from the window of the 
meeting room.  Kul-Mukhammed explained the building will be finished 
in 2010 and would seat 3,500 people.  Its unusual design will 
maximize acoustics, making it possible to do some performances 
without the use of microphones.  He said that the design concept is 
not really a new one -- rather, it is similar to that of the Berlin 
Philharmonic, which was completed in the 1960s, Rome's Parco della 
Musica, and Tokyo's Suntory Hall.  A group of Kazakhstani artists 
visited Suntory Hall in 2004 and were impressed with the design. 
The Ambassador said that, while he could make no promises, he would 
like to explore the possibility of having a major U.S. orchestra 
perform in the new concert hall once it is completed. 
 
HOAGLAND