US embassy cable - 05ALMATY255

UNCLAS  ALMATY 000255 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN JMUDGE, MOMARA; NP/PTR EVAZQUEZ, 
ROLIVER, LSCHMIDT-WILLIAMS 
DEFENSE FOR USDP/CTR JELLIOTT, JREID 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KZ, WMD/Non-proliferation, POLITICAL 
SUBJECT: AMB ORDWAY MEETS DFM SHAKIROV: BWC COMING SOON, 
WMDIE-K PPI APPEARS STALLED 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary/Background:  Ambassador Ordway met with 
Deputy Foreign Minister Askar Shakirov January 19 in Astana. 
The meeting focused primarily on nonproliferation issues. 
Shakirov indicated that the GOK is not yet ready to sign the 
WMDIE-K PPI agreement.  However, Shakirov did provide clear 
reassurance on the GOK's commitment to continue the mission 
in Iraq despite the recent casualties suffered by the 
KazBat.  He also indicated that the GOK is moving forward 
with ratification of the Biological Weapons Convention, a 
process he expects to be completed within the next few 
months. 
 
2. (U) Shakirov, 48, was appointed one of five Deputy 
Foreign Ministers in August 2004 after a six-year posting as 
Ambassador to India.  His portfolio, most of which was 
previously handled by former first deputy minister and 
current Ambassador to Switzerland Abuseitov, includes 
nonproliferation, multilateral cooperation, international 
organizations, multilateral conferences such as CICA and the 
Shanghai Cooperation Organization, anti-terrorism and export 
controls.  End Summary/Background. 
 
Strong Support on Iraq; Progress Imminent on BWC 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
3. (SBU) At his first meeting with Ambassador Ordway, 
Shakirov made a point of underlining Kazakhstan's 
determination to see the Iraq mission through to completion. 
He said unequivocally that, despite the recent casualty in 
the KazBat battalion, Kazakhstan would be with the coalition 
"to the end."  He also took the opportunity to talk up 
Kazakhstan's partnership in the global coalition against 
terrorism, citing the success of GOK security forces in 
October 2004 in uncovering Al Qaeda- and IMU-linked 
organizations and the upcoming UN Counterterrorism Committee 
meeting on counterterrorism to be held in Almaty January 26- 
28.  (Note:  In a January 24 meeting, the chairman of the 
Parliament's International Affairs committee told the 
Ambassador that in a closed session the 15-member committee 
had unanimously agreed to support continuation of KazBat's 
presence in Iraq.  End Note) 
 
4. (SBU) Shakirov also mentioned that the Ministry of 
Education and Science is working on draft legislation that 
would complete Kazakhstan's accession to the Biological 
Weapons Convention.  Although the legislation needs 
interagency approval and a parliamentary vote, Shakirov 
estimated that it would be a matter of months rather than a 
year for all the procedures to be finished.  He cited the G8 
Global Partnership as an impetus for the GOK's drive to 
formally join BWC, and noted that the GOK had submitted 
several worthy projects for Global Partnership 
consideration.  The Ambassador confirmed that joining BWC 
would certainly help the GOK gain support from other G8 
governments in its bid for Partnership recipient status. 
 
WMDIE-K Bio and PPI 
------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) Shakirov and the Ambassador discussed two current 
issues in the WMDIE-K area: next steps after the signing of 
the biological program amendment, and the potential PPI 
amendment.  Shakirov repeated what Post has been told by MFA 
about GOK intentions for the biological program annual work 
plan, i.e. that they are devising an interagency plan which 
they intend to offer alongside the U.S. plan at a meeting in 
the near future.  Shakirov did not indicate which dates the 
GOK favors for the next meeting. 
 
6. (SBU) With regard to the proposed PPI amendment, Shakirov 
said that the question was under interagency review and was 
not likely to be resolved "as quickly as the last one" 
(presumably WMDIE-K bio).  The Ambassador explained the 
precarious situation with respect to PPI funding, but 
Shakirov's response suggested that the GOK was in no hurry 
to sign the amendment.  (Note:  This statement conflicts 
with previous assurances to the Embassy that the amendment 
had been given to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral 
Resources (MEMR) to be prepared for Minister Shkolnik's 
signature with no recommended changes in early November 
2004.  In a subsequent phone call to EBO, one of Shakirov's 
 
 
staffers indicated that the DFM had asked him after the 
meeting to check on the status of the PPI agreement; post is 
awaiting clarification of whether Shakirov's comments may 
have been off the mark.) 
 
7. (U) Minimize for Dushanbe considered. 
 
Ordway 
 
 
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