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DE RUEHTA #0255/01 0530912
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O 220912Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7526
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 2523
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2575
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1869
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1485
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RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2718
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3008

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000255 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON EPET ENRG SOCI SENV KCRM KDEM KZ
SUBJECT:  KAZAKHSTAN:  WEEKLY SPOT-REPORT DIGEST, FEBRUARY 16-19 
 
ASTANA 00000255  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) This is the first edition of a new weekly cable to 
disseminate spot reports based on Embassy conversations with 
interlocutors, as well as from the mass media.  Our goal is to draw 
attention to information that might not merit a full cable report. 
 
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS - NAZARBAYEV TALKS SUMMIT IN MOSCOW 
 
¶2.  (U) Russian Central Asia analyst Arkadiy Dubnov told Deutsche 
Welle that during President Nazarbayev's Moscow visit the most 
important issue was the OSCE summit in Astana.  Dubnov predicted 
that Foreign Minister Lavrov will visit Kazakhstan on February 21-23 
to discuss the summit agenda and "other delicate issues." 
 
... AND KAZAKHSTAN JOINS MOSCOW-BACKED RAPID REACTION FORCE 
 
¶3.  (U) On February 17, the Associated Press reported Kazakhstan 
ratified an accord Wednesday committing it to a NATO-style 
rapid-reaction force drawn from the armies of former Soviet nations, 
the Kazakh presidential press office said in a statement.  The force 
will operate under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty 
Organization, a Russian-backed military bloc that also includes 
Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as members. 
Uzbekistan now remains the only organization member not to sign the 
rapid reaction force agreement. Uzbekistan, which regards itself as 
Central Asia's main military power broker, has traditionally been 
wary of Moscow's attempts to dominate security in the region.  The 
force's stated aim is to combat threats of terrorism, extremism and 
drug trafficking, as well as helping to deal with the aftermath of 
natural and man-made disasters. 
 
ON THE ECONOMIC FRONT, CUSTOMS DESCRIBES NEW CODE 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On February 17, Customs Control Committee Chairman 
Kozykorpesh Karbuzov presented highlights of the new Customs Code 
for the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.  According 
to Karbuzov, the new Customs Code will come into force on July 1, 
and will reduce administrative barriers to trade.  Karbuzov thanked 
USAID for technical assistance in designing an "electronic single 
window."  Igor Tyen, Deputy Chairman of the Customs Control 
Committee, said that customs clearance is no longer required for 
goods traded among Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Russia, or for foreign 
goods released for consumption inside Customs Union member states. 
Tyen also reported that, although the Custom Union does not cover 
export duties, the Customs Union's Special Agreement on Export 
Control would prevent the illegal export of goods from the territory 
of Customs Union member states. 
 
EBRD COMMENTS ON FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATION 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Ambassador had lunch on February 18 with Olivier 
Descamps and Michael Weinstein of the European Bank for 
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to discuss the economic and 
financial situation in Kazakhstan.  Descamps, who is based in London 
and oversees EBRD projects in Central Asia, Turkey, Eastern Europe, 
and the Caucasus, said the EBRD is deepening its relationship with 
Samruk-Kazyna, although it will not provide carte blanche for a 
long-term, state-driven approach to economic growth.  He also 
insisted that the economic crisis is not yet over in Kazakhstan, and 
said greater diversification of the economy is necessary to achieve 
sustained growth. 
 
JAILED KAZAKHSTANI RIGHTS ACTIVIST LAUNCHES BLOG 
 
¶6.  (U) Jailed Kazakh human rights defender Yevgeny Zhovtis has 
begun publishing a blog on the Internet, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service 
reported on February 17.  Zhovtis was the director of the 
Almaty-based Kazakh Bureau for Human Rights.  He is serving a 
four-year jail term in a labor camp in East Kazakhstan Oblast for 
his involvement in a deadly traffic accident last year.  His 
supporters and human rights organizations have criticized his 
sentence, which they say Kazakh authorities ordered in retaliation 
for Zhovtis's human rights activities.  His blog is blocked in 
Kazakhstan and only available via a proxy server. 
 
ASTANA 00000255  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
COURT REVERSES NEWSPAPER'S SUSPENSION FOR OUTSTANDING DEBT 
 
¶7.  (U) On February 16, the Medeu district court in Almaty reversed 
the February 8 court administrator's order that suspended 
publication of the Respublika newspaper for failure to pay in full 
its outstanding debt of 60 million tenge to BTA bank.  The newspaper 
filed a counter-suit, arguing that only a judge can order a 
suspension, and the court agreed with the newspaper.  As reported 
previously, the same court ruled on September 9 that Respublika owed 
BTA bank 60 million tenge in damages for publishing an article that 
caused a debilitating run on the bank. 
 
FINANCIAL POLICE ACADEMY DIRECTOR "COMMITTED HARA-KIRI" 
 
¶8.  (SBU) More details have come out about the mysterious 
resignation of Director of the Financial Police Academy (FPA) 
General-Major Ramazan Tleukhan on February 1.  On February 18, 
sources in the FPA told the Embassy that Tleukhan resigned his 
position because an administrative employee was arrested for sexual 
assault, allegedly committed against a 17-year-old girl.  Although 
the employee was not high-placed and the crime was not connected to 
the FPA, Tleukhan's personal code of honor demanded that he step 
down.   The Embassy has had an excellent relationship with the FPA 
since 2003, and Tleukhan was one of INL's most reliable 
interlocutors.   The previous FPA Director left his position in 2007 
after a female cadet was tortured to death by other female cadets 
after being accused of theft.  A new FPA Director has not yet been 
appointed; INL had a productive initial meeting with the Acting 
Director of the FPA on February 17. 
 
HOAGLAND