KAZAKHSTAN’S SECURITY TIES GROWING IN THE MIDDLE EAST
By Roger McDermott
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Nov 15 2006
Kazakhstan is seeking to diversify its security interests, looking to
Middle Eastern states for assistance. This trend was evident during
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s first state visit to Kazakhstan
on November 7. Kazakh officials also explored potential security
cooperation with Jordanian Defense Minister Maruf al-Bakhit in talks
in Astana on November 9.
A security dimension to the bilateral relationship between Kazakhstan
and Egypt emerged alongside efforts to emphasize burgeoning trade
links. Following the bilateral talks, Vladimir Shkolnik, Kazakhstan’s
trade and industry minister, and his Egyptian counterpart, Rashid
Husayn, signed a protocol allowing Egyptian goods and services free
access to Kazakhstan’s markets. Bilateral trade currently stands at
approximately $14.5 million in the first eight months of 2006. Trade
agreements envisage the deepening of bilateral trade in various
sectors of the economy, including textiles and pharmaceuticals
(Kazakhstan-Interfax, November 7).
Taking full advantage of Mubarak’s visit, Kazakh President Nursultan
Nazarbayev, explained, "We agreed on many issues during the meeting
today. First of all, they concern economic and political relations
between the two countries. The bilateral meeting discussed topical
international problems, including regional problems in the Middle
East, Iraq, and Afghanistan and the situation in Central Asia"
(Kazakh TV First Channel, November 7).
On November 8 Amangeldy Shabdarbayev, chairman of the Kazakh National
Security Committee (KNB), met Colonel-General Umar Sulayman, director
of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, in Astana. They
reportedly discussed ways to establish mechanisms for information
sharing. "During the meeting, the heads of the special services
expressed their intention to further develop interaction to counter
international terrorism and religious extremism, as well modern
threats and challenges," according to the KNB’s press service
(Kazakhstan-Interfax, November 8).
Kazakhstan’s Middle Eastern diplomacy has been intense and pointed,
and Astana has steadfastly continued to deploy elements of its
peacekeeping battalion (KAZBAT) in Iraq. Kazakh Prime Minister
Daniyal Akhmetov met his Jordanian counterpart, al-Bakhit, in Astana
on November 8. "We attach special importance to stepping up the work
of the Kazakh-Jordanian intergovernmental commission [for trade and
economic cooperation]. Agriculture Minister [Akhmetzhan] Yesimov will
be heading the commission from the Kazakh side," Akhmetov confirmed
after his talks. The prime minister believes Kazakhstan can offer
Jordan a wide range of products in the metallurgy, chemistry, oil,
and agricultural sectors. Kazakhstan’s markets are open for trade with
both Egypt and Jordan, and there is clear interest in Kazakhstan’s
energy sphere. Nazarbayev has been invited to visit Jordan in late
November, when he is likely to explore these issues further.
Kazakhstan’s Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev expressed interest
in military-technical cooperation during talks with his Jordanian
counterpart. "During the meeting, the sides discussed issues relating
to international and regional security, as well as prospects for
developing bilateral military and technical cooperation," the Kazakh
Defense Ministry disclosed (Interfax, November 9). Astana’s efforts
to foster security links with Egypt and Jordan appear to be at a
tentative stage, but there is reason to believe that they will make
practical progress. The KNB agreement on cooperating with Egyptian
intelligence may presage wider defense cooperation, as Kazakhstan’s
national security interests are identified.
While Kazakh officials were conducting Middle Eastern diplomacy,
the government was keeping a close eye on the political unrest in
Kyrgyzstan. Security officials in Astana fear the consequences for the
region, should their southern neighbor become a dysfunctional state
and a breeding ground for terrorism and extremism. Such concerns are
currently driving the exploration of new themes in Kazakh security
cooperation trends; Nazarbayev is keen to learn from Egypt and Jordan
about ways to tackle the terrorist threat.
These are some ways in which Astana is changing the established
cooperation dynamics in the region. But there are also other indicators
that regional security dynamics may again shift or realign in the
near future. The first joint anti-terrorist exercises held between
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states will be held in Russia
in spring 2007. "Peaceful Mission-Border 2007" will take place in
May 2007 at the Chebarkul testing ground in Chelyabinsk region.
China and Russia will each send a battalion, while Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan will contribute a company and Kyrgyzstan
will send a platoon. Armenia and Belarus will participate as
observers. Russia and China will reportedly provide the largest
contingents of troops to the forthcoming maneuvers, with each sending
a battalion. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan each intend to
send a company, and Kyrgyzstan intends to send a platoon. Armenia
and Belarus, which are not SCO members, will attend the maneuvers as
observers (Avesta, November 8).
Joint CSTO and SCO anti-terrorist exercises will once again raise the
profile of these organizations within the region. How far it will
strengthen the pro-Russian security trends in Central Asia remains
unclear. Meanwhile, analysts are speculating about what dividends
Nazarbayev could extract from security cooperation in the Middle
East that he cannot get by concentrating on his partnership with
Western countries.