VZCZCXRO9806
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHTA #0054/01 0111232
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111232Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1470
RHFJUSC/USCUSTOMS WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 0082
RHEBAAA/USDOE WASHDC
RUETIAA/NSA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC 0010
RUCQAAA/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0461
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 8225
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 8109
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0034
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2318
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 7283
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY 0124

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 000054 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC YWONG, ACHURCH, JHARTSHORN, SROBINSON 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER 
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE DFISCHER 
DEPT FOR SCA/RA JSPILSBURY 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN MO'MARA 
CBP/INA FOR KCHAISSON AND RWATT USDOE/NNSA CWALKER, TPERRY AND EDESCHLER DOC FOR DCREED USCG FOR SHABETIMICHAEL AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE AND ASHGABAT FOR EXBS ADVISORS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KZ

1.The government of Norway has agreed to provide $5 million to fund additional radiation detection equipment for improved Kazakhstan border security. This will dramatically expand the number of border posts with detection ability, and is the largest contribution to date to the Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative (NSOI). Representatives from the Department of Energy are meeting their Norwegian counterparts to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding. This contribution will be integrated into the Department of Energy Second Line of Defense (DOE/SLD) program plans for Kazakhstan.

II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD

¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED

1.On December 8, 2007, the EXBS Advisor met with Mr. Richard Talley, Program Manager for the Caucasus Region and Central Asia, National Nuclear Security Administration, and Mr. Chuck Willingham, Staff Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, on the International Nonproliferation Export Control Program's (INECP) country plan for Kazakhstan. The EXBS Advisor was briefed on INECP efforts in Kazakhstan to date and was provided valuable insight into INECP efforts in the licensing area aimed at adding additional organizations and institutes to the computerized license system, implementing security upgrades, and making improvements to the computer network and communications infrastructure. Additional discussions centered on proposed training for Customs and Border Guards during 2008 and the need for a comprehensive Kazakhstani response protocol.

¶B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD

¶1. A Commodity Identification Training (CIT) course for Customs Control Committee personnel was conducted the week of December 3, 2007, in Borovoe, Kazakhstan. This was the fifth CIT seminar in Kazakhstan and the second one that did not require U.S. instructors to present any training materials. This training was monitored by Mr. Richard Talley, Program Manager for the Caucasus Region and Central Asia for the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration's (DOE/NNSA) International Nonproliferation Export Control Program (INECP), and Mr. Chuck Willingham, Staff Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

¶2. From December 3 - 7, 2007, EXBS Program Manager Gulnara Abildaeva and EXBS Program Assistant Oxana Limareva traveled to Frankfurt, Germany, to participate in the Foreign Service Institute's training class on Managing Foreign Assistance Awards Overseas. This course prepares employees to link assistance programs with post-specific strategic planning goals and objectives and to develop a post-specific assistance awards program from concept and design, through implementation and management, to evaluation of the results.

¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD

1.On December 4, 2007, EXBS Program Manager Gulnara Abildaeva delivered to Mr. Jerry Guilbert, Special Projects Program Manager ISN/ECC, the acceptance documents signed by Major General Hussain Berkaliyev, First Deputy Director, National Security Committee, Border Guard Service, for $970,326 worth of EXBS donated equipment consisting of 4 portable shelter complexes and 11 URAL trucks ASTANA 00000054 002 OF 003 delivered under Task Order 79.

¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE

1.The EXBS team has scheduled a meeting on January 15, 2008, with senior representatives from the Border Guard Services of the National Security Committee and the Customs Control Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The goal of this meeting is to determine if EXBS donated equipment (such as Radiation Isotope Identification Devices, enforcement tool kits, modular shelters, vehicles, mobile X-ray vans, and stationary pallet X-ray machines) is meeting the specific needs of the Customs and Border Guard Services of Kazakhstan and to address future implementation, training, and delivery issues. During the meeting in Astana, the EXBS team will deliver five CT30 Kits, and two Ludlum Survey Meters.

2.The EXBS team will attend a Border Security Donor Coordination meeting in Astana on January 23, 2008.

3.The EXBS Advisor will participate in an International Counterproliferation Program (ICP) course, "WMD International Investigations", taught in Astana, from January 28 - February 1, 2008. This course is designed for approximately 30-35 criminal investigators to enhance specialized investigative skills in transnational investigations of Weapons of Mass Destruction incidents.

¶4. The Department of Energy Second Line of Defense Program is continuing its project to install portal monitors at border sites. The EXBS team will accompany Ms. Laurel Cotton, the Project Coordinator for the U.S. Department of Energy's Second Line of Defense (SLD) Program, to a meeting in Astana with Kazakhstani Customs officials on February 4, 2008, to discuss a broad range of matters concerning the SLD program. The SLD equipment for Phase One installation is scheduled to arrive in Kazakhstan from Russia between January 9 and 14, 2008. EXBS will send a diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting access to the requested sites for U.S. technical specialists so that they can begin the installation of the portal monitors and related equipment during February 2008.

5.Task Order 79 Donations. Delivery of the original water tanks for the four modular shelters donated to the Border Guards was delayed due to difficulties encountered in the Customs clearance process created by a change in the Kazakhstani law. The official letter from the Vice Minister, Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning, approving the release of the water tanks from the Almaty airport warehouse without charging the warehouse storage fees was passed on to the Customs Control Committee on November 19. However, the warehouse proprietor has thus far refused to release the water tanks without payment of the storage fees. The Border Guard Service is looking into gaining the release of these water tanks from the warehouse.

¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY

1.None. F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION ASTANA 00000054 003 OF 003

¶1. The Kazakhstani Marine Border Guards (MBG) have expressed a desire to attend the Safe Boat Operations Course (CG 33) during the June/July time frame as offered by Lt. Michael Fisher, EXBS Caspian Region Maritime Advisor, Baku, in a letter to MBG Major General Berkaliyev. III. RED FLAG ISSUES.

1.None ORDWAY