US embassy cable - 05ALMATY4235

UNCLAS ALMATY 004235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
USDOC FOR 532/OEA/MARY CORSEY/ORESTES THEOCHARIDES 
USDOC FOR 3133/FCS/OIO/EUR/MCOSTA 
USDOC FOR: 4231/ITA/MAC/OEERIS/RISD/DSTARKS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: BEXP, ETRD, ETTC, KZ, Avian Influenza 
SUBJECT: PRE-LICENSE CHECK AT THE ASTANA INTERNATIONAL 
AIRPORT AND WITH THE ASTANA CITY'S DEPARTMENT OF SANITARY 
EPIDEMILOGICAL INSPECTION SERVICES. EXPORT LICENCE NUMBERS 
D346127 AND D346119 
 
REFTELS: USDOC 4415, USDOC 4416, ALMATY 3742, USDOC 4831 
 
1.    CS ALMATY SENIOR COMMERCIAL OFFICER MITCHEL AUERBACH 
AND INDUSTRY SPECIALIST OKSANA CHUKREYEVA CONDUCTED A PRE- 
LICENSE CHECK AT THE ASTANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE 
ASTANA CITY DEPARTMENT'S SANITARY EPIDEMILOGICAL INSPECTION 
SERVICE, ON NOVEMBER 17, 2005, AS REQUESTED IN REFTELS USDOC 
4416 AND USDOC 4416. 
 
2. THIS PRE-LICENSE CHECK WAS CARRIED OUT REGARDING THE 
PURCHASE OF MIKRON INFRARED THERMO IMAGING CAMERAS USED TO 
DETECT HEAT VARIANCES FROM INCOMING PASSENGERS ARRIVING AT 
ASTANA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  FOR THOSE PASSENGERS, FOR 
WHICH "ABNORMAL" BODY TEMPERATURES WERE DETECTED, LOCAL 
HEALTH AUTHORITIES WOULD TAKE THEM ASIDE FOR FURTHER 
SCREENING RELATED TO GOVERNMENT OF KAZAKHSTAN CONCERNS OVER 
POSSIBLE BIRD FLU INFECTION. SHIPMENT OF THESE CAMERAS HAS 
NOT YET BEEN MADE, BUT IS ANTICPATED WITHIN ONE-TWO MONTHS, 
UNDER EXPORT LICENSE NUMBERS D346127 AND D346119, RECEIVED 
BY MIKRON INFRARED, INC., 16 THRONTON ROAD, OAKLAND, NJ 
07436. 
 
3. POST WAS ABLE TO SCHEDULE THE VISIT WITHOUT DELAY FROM 
THESE ORGANIZATIONS. THE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED ON THE 
PREMISES OF THE ASTANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, WITH ITS 
DIRECTOR ROBERT YOUNG, AND WITH MS. FARIDA SAGINDIKOBNA, 
DIRECTOR OF ASTANA'S EPIDEMILOGICAL INSPECTION SERVICE. 
NEITHER THE SCO NOR MS. CHUKREYEVA EXPERIENCED ANY 
RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF MS. SAGINDIKOBNA OR MR. YOUNG TO 
ANSWER QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS PRE-LICENSE CHECK.  DURING 
THEIR VISIT, THE PRE-LICENSE CHECK TEAM EXPLAINED THE 
IMPORTANCE OF COMPLYING WITH ALL DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
LICENSES AS WELL AS THE RIDERS AND CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO 
THE LICENSE. 
 
4. RECOMMENDATION: ALL INDICATIONS WERE THAT THIS TECHNOLGY 
WILL BE USED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE EXPORT 
LICENSE AND THAT THE ASTANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE 
ASTANA CITY DEPARTMENT'S SANITARY EPIDEMILOGICAL INSPECTION 
SERVICE CAN BE CONSIDERED RELIABLE RECIPIENTS OF SENSITIVE 
U.S. TECHNOLOGY. 
 
ORDWAY 
 
 
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