VZCZCXRO6719
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK
RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHPW
RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTA #1184/01 1951008
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141008Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5800
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 1754
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1823
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1121
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0782
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFAAA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1305
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 1222
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2387
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2705
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY 1691

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 001184 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR P, SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KNNP KDEM KPAO KMDR RS KZ
SUBJECT:  KAZAKHSTAN:  MEDIA REACTION FOR THE ASTANA VISIT OF 
UNDERSECRETARY BILL BURNS 
 
ASTANA 00001184  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  The Kazakhstani media broadly reported Under Secretary 
of State Bill Burns's July 10 meeting in Astana with President 
Nazarbayev; however, the majority of the coverage was factual rather 
than analytical, due to the fact that the event happened on a 
Friday, after all of the weekly analytical newspapers had been 
published.  Burns made a statement and answered journalists' 
question at a brief press conference immediately following the 
Nazarbayev meeting.  The press coverage emphasized Burns's praise 
for Nazarbayev's leadership on non-proliferation issues and his 
statement that the United States attaches high priority to its 
relationship with Kazakhstan.  One outlet pointed out that the 
U.S.-Kazakhstani relationship does not need to be "reset."  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
ON THE AIR 
¶2.   Four of Kazakhstan's largest television stations, including the 
two official, nationwide channels, "Khabar" and "Kazakhstan," as 
well as pro-government "Era TV" and "Rakhat," highlighted the visit 
on their evening news broadcasts.   "Kazakhstan" broadcast Under 
Secretary Burns's statement praising President Nazarbayev for 
showing leadership on the issue on non-proliferation of weapons of 
mass destruction.   "Khabar" showed a more complete version of Under 
Secretary Burns' statement, including not only the praise for 
President Nazarbayev's non-proliferation leadership, but also the 
sections in which Burns reiterated U.S. support for Kazakhstan's 
2010 OSCE chairmanship and pointed out that Kazakhstan was the 
delegation's first stop on its Central Asian tour.  "Khabar" also 
mentioned Nazarbayev's support of President Obama's initiative for a 
global nuclear security summit next spring in New York.  Both 
official channels broadcast the reports in both the Russian and 
Kazakh languages. 
VALUED PARTNER 
 
¶3.  The four largest national dailies, official "Kazakhstanskaya 
Pravda," pro-government "Liter," pro-government "Express K," and 
independent "Vremya" all covered the visit by quoting Under 
Secretary Burns as saying that, "U.S. President Barack Obama 
attaches high priority to the U.S. relationship with Kazakhstan." 
The "Kazakhstan Today" news service reported more fully on the U.S. 
delegation's meeting with Nazarbayev, saying that "Burns conveyed to 
the Kazakhstani president best wishes from U.S. President Barack 
Obama."  "Kazakhstan Today" also noted that Burns briefed Nazarbayev 
on the recently concluded Moscow summit meeting between President 
Obama and Russian President Medvedev, and quoted the Under Secretary 
saying, "The U.S. president's visit to Moscow was very successful. 
Washington attaches importance to good relations with Russia.  The 
United States also highly values relations and cooperation with 
Kazakhstan." 
 
NO NEED TO RESET 
 
¶4.  "Express K" briefly profiled Under Secretary Burns, saying he 
"is known as one of the most successful U.S. career diplomats.  The 
author asserted that "Time" magazine "included him in its list of 50 
prospective American leaders under 40, and in its list of the 100 
most promising young leaders in the world."  The author also 
connected the delegation's visit to a "Washington Times" article in 
which Chevron CEO Dave O'Reilly and Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) 
co-founder and former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn said that while the 
Obama Administration is trying to "reset" its relationship with 
Russia, it already has successful relationships with other former 
Soviet countries -- "and Kazakhstan first of all" -- which don't 
need to be "reset." 
 
¶5. The following is the transcript of Under Secretary Burns's July 
tenth press conference in Astana: 
 
Under Secretary Burns:  Good Afternoon.  I am delighted to be here 
in Kazakhstan with a delegation of senior colleagues from the U.S. 
Government.  I am especially happy to make Kazakhstan our first stop 
after a successful summit in Moscow and after the G-8 summit. 
 
ASTANA 00001184  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton asked us to emphasize 
the importance and the high priority that the new American 
administration attaches to our relationship with Kazakhstan. 
 
We've had a very productive set of conversations today.  I 
especially wanted to emphasize my appreciation for the warmth and 
hospitality offered by President Nazarbayev.  I expressed to the 
president our appreciation for our cooperation in Afghanistan, which 
is a common challenge.  I expressed our appreciation for the 
president's leadership on the issue of non-proliferation.  President 
Obama looks forward very much to joining President Nazarbayev in an 
important nuclear security summit in the United States next spring. 
 
 
We talked about ways in which we can deepen our economic 
relationship, not only in the energy sector but also in other 
sectors of the economy.  I also had an opportunity to discuss the 
results of what was a very successful summit between President Obama 
and President Medvedev in Moscow earlier this week.  I stressed our 
conviction that a strong relationship between the United States and 
Russia is an important complement to our partnerships with 
Kazakhstan and our other friends in the region.  And finally, we 
talked about our support for Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the OSCE 
in 2010.  It is an important opportunity for Kazakhstan to show its 
leadership and also an important opportunity to demonstrate progress 
in the various areas of democratic reform to which Kazakhstan has 
committed itself. 
 
I was also pleased during my visit to have a chance to meet with 
civil society leaders.  That [meeting] very much reflected President 
Obama's view that a strong relationship between the United States 
and Kazakhstan depends on good relationship between our governments, 
as well as on good relations between our two societies. 
 
So once again, I believe we had a very productive and constructive 
set of discussions, and I leave Kazakhstan with a very strong sense 
of the potential for further strengthening our relationship. 
 
I would be glad to respond to your questions. 
 
Khabar News Agency:  In light of the new administration now in the 
White House, can we expect changes in the U.S.-Kazakhstan 
relationship as a result? 
 
Under Secretary Burns:  As I said, President Obama attaches high 
priority to the relationship between our two countries.  That's what 
the visit of our delegation reflects.  I strongly believe that we 
will be able to strengthen our relationship even further in the 
coming years.  And that's very much in the interest of both of our 
countries and both of our peoples. 
 
Khabar News Agency:  Recently, President Nazarbayev received here - 
in this same building - the President of Israel, and during that 
meeting a lot was said about international nuclear security.  The 
presidents called on all nuclear nations to decrease the level of 
nuclear tensions.  What is your take on that? 
 
Undersecretary Burns:  I think President Nazarbayev has demonstrated 
real leadership on the issue of non-proliferation.  The United 
States, for our part, has tried to demonstrate our own commitment to 
doing everything we can to prevent the proliferation of weapons of 
mass destruction, and also to set a good example ourselves.  A good 
example of that is the joint understanding that President Obama and 
President Medvedev reached in Moscow a few days ago about a further 
agreement to limit strategic arms.  So we're determined to do our 
part, and we value greatly President Nazarbayev's leadership on this 
issue. 
 
Spasibo. 
 
 
 
ASTANA 00001184  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
HOAGLAND