US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE686

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000686 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KZ, NL, OSCE 
SUBJECT: DUTCH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON POSSIBLE 2009 KAZAKH 
OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP 
 
REF: STATE 55059 
 
Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR NATHANIEL DEAN FOR REASONS 1. 
5 (B AND D) 
 
(C) Acting PolCouns made reftel demarche to MFA OSCE Task 
Force Policy Advisor Petra Smulders on March 17.  Smulders 
said the GONL was awaiting the results of a March 30 meeting 
in Astana between the GOK and EU Heads of Mission before 
taking a position on a "Friends of Kazakhstan."  She said if 
the GOK does not want one, there is no need to push for one. 
She noted that during a July 2003 visit to Almaty then CiO de 
Hoop Scheffer had welcomed a Kazakh bid to lead the OSCE, but 
had cautioned that a lot of progress was needed before 2009. 
Smulders said the GONL was not certain specific benchmarks 
were a good idea but said its view would depend on the 
outcome of the March 30 meeting.  The GONL would like to hear 
more from the Kazakhs in that meeting about their interest in 
leading the OSCE in 2009.  She said that if Kazakhstan makes 
substantial progress there is still time to make a decision. 
RUSSEL