Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08ASTANA760, LIFESTYLES OF THE KAZAZHSTANI LEADERSHIP

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08ASTANA760.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08ASTANA760 2008-04-17 10:35 2010-12-12 21:30 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Astana
VZCZCXRO1604
PP RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHTA #0760/01 1081035
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171035Z APR 08 ZEL
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2248
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 0478
RUCNCLS/SCA COLLECTIVE
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0110
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 2159
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0130
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1899
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 000760 

SIPDIS 

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADD "CLASSIFIED BY" LINE 

SIPDIS 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PINR KZ
SUBJECT: LIFESTYLES OF THE KAZAZHSTANI LEADERSHIP 

ASTANA 00000760 001.4 OF 003 


CLASSIFIED BY POL/ECON CHIEF STEVEN FAGIN, REASONS 1.4 
(B) AND (D) 

------- 
Summary 
------- 

1. (C) Kazakhstan's political elites appear to enjoy typical 
hobbies -- such as travel, horseback riding, and skiing. Not 
surprisingly, however, they are able to indulge in their 
hobbies on a grand scale, whether flying Elton John to 
Kazakhstan for a concert or trading domestic property for a 
palace in the United Arab Emirates. This cable recounts 
several instances in which Embassy officers have learned of, 
or witnessed, the recreational habits of Kazakhstan's 
leaders. End Summary. 

-------------- 
Sun and Horses 
-------------- 

2. (C) President Nazarbayev, like many of his countrymen, has 
a strong affinity for horses. In 2007, emboff visited the 
presidential horse farm with the daughter of the farm's 
manager. The farm is located on the outskirts of Astana in a 
residential area, but is surrounded by a high-fence and 
security guards. Inside the gates are a large stable, indoor 
and outdoor riding arenas, and a clubhouse with a pool table, 
sauna, and exercise room. Emboff toured the stable and saw 
approximately forty horses from various parts of the world. 
Emboff's companion told him that Nazarbayev visits the horse 
farm on occasion, though not too frequently. She said that 
Nazarbayev's wife -- Sara Nazarbayeva -- never accompanies 
him, but claimed that sometimes his "second wife" comes to 
the horse farm. (Comment: Most Kazakhstanis are familiar 
with the rumor that Nazarbayev has a "second wife," a former 
airline stewardess, who is said by some to reside in London. 
More recently, there have been whispers that Nazarbayev has 
yet a "third wife," a former beauty queen. We have no 
concrete information about either relationship, although 
Taszhargan, an opposition newspaper, printed a sympathetic 
article about Sara Nazarbayeva which expounded on her status 
as Nazarbayev's "co-wife." End Comment.) 

3. (C) Nazarbayev is also fond of traveling to warmer climes 
in the region. The UAE Ambassador told emboff that Nazarbayev 
had traded property in Borovoe -- a mountainous resort area 
of Kazakhstan north of Astana and sometimes likened to 
Switzerland -- for a "palace" in the Emirates. He did not 
make clear whether the transaction was a permanent 
arrangement or only a temporary one. The head of Turkey's 
liaison office in Astana, Orhan Isik, told emboff that 
Nazarbayev has a mansion in Antaliya, which he visits 4-5 
times a year. Isik claimed that Nazarbayev received the 
property as a gift in the early 1990's and now plans to use 
part of the land for the construction of a luxury hotel. 

------------------------ 
Dancing at the Nightclub 
------------------------ 

4. (C) On March 7, two days after his trip to the U.S. was 
cancelled, Prime Minister Masimov was spotted by emboff at 
Chocolat, one of Astana's trendiest nightclubs. Masimov 
entered at approximately 11:30 pm, accompanied by 
Presidential Administration head Kairat Kelimbetov, Astana 
mayor Askar Mamin, three middle-aged Kazakh women (presumably 
their wives), and a security detail. Although the club 
offers a VIP area, Masimov chose to sit at a table in full 
view of all of the club's patrons. Emboff lingered close to 
Masimov's group and saw several bottles of alcohol on the 
table. (Note: Another emboff had seen the group drinking 
earlier in the evening at a cigar bar at the Radisson Hotel, 
which is located in the same complex as Chocolat. End Note.) 
Masimov led his companions on to Chocolat's dance floor soon 
after their arrival. The dance floor holds approximately 100 
people, and at the time perhaps 50 patrons were dancing. 
However, Masimov himself chose to dance on an empty stage 
above the dance floor. His companions quickly tired but 
Masimov remained, dancing alone and animatedly on the stage 
for another 15-20 minutes. At approximately 1:00 am, Masimov 
and his retinue left the club. 

------------------------- 
Skiing with the Oligarchs 
------------------------- 

5. (C) In September 2007, Kazakhstani oligarch Aleksandr 
Mashkevich -- the co-founder of metals and mining giant 
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation and, according to 

ASTANA 00000760 002.4 OF 003 


CLASSIFIED BY POL/ECON CHIEF STEVEN FAGIN, REASONS 1.4 
(B) AND (D) 

Forbes magazine, the 334th wealthiest man in the world -- 
hosted a dinner at his house in Almaty for two visiting U.S. 
congressmen. Only two Kazakhstanis attended the event, State 
Secretary Kanat Saudabayev and his assistant. Judging from 

SIPDIS 
the friendly banter between Saudabayev and Mashkevich, the 
two have a quite cordial personal relationship. Mashkevich 
told a lengthy anecdote about a ski vacation that he and 
Saudabayev had taken together in Europe. 

6. (C) Saudabayev had hosted a codel at that same Almaty 
residence in 2005, without Mashkevich in attendance. At that 
time, when the Ambassador asked Saudabayev whose house it 
was, he would only say that it belonged to "a friend." 
Saudabayev has twice hosted visiting USG officials for a meal 
at Mashkevich's Astana residence -- both times without 
Mashkevich. It is not clear what Mashkevich is spending his 
billions on, but it is certainly not culinary talent. On all 
four occasions the Ambassador has eaten at one of his houses, 
the menu has been similar and focused on beshparmak (boiled 
meat and noodles) and plov. The wait staff appeared to be 
graduates of a Soviet cafeteria training academy. The wine, 
at least, was somewhat upscale with reasonably good French 
vintage bottles uncorked for the guests. The Astana 
residence has wooden plaques on the doors that would fit in 
nicely in a Wyoming hunting lodge but are somewhat out of 
touch with the upscale "Euro-remont" that is so popular among 
the Kazakhstani elite. 

------------------------------- 
Private Concerts with the Stars 
------------------------------- 

7. (C) In 2007, President Nazarbayev's son-in-law, Timur 
Kulibayev, celebrated his 41st birthday in grand style. At a 
small venue in Almaty, he hosted a private concert with some 
of Russia's biggest pop-stars. The headliner, however, was 
Elton John, to whom he reportedly paid one million pounds for 
this one-time appearance. (Note: The British Ambassador 
relayed a slightly different story, with an unknown but 
obviously well-heeled friend arranging and paying for Sir 
Elton's gig. End Comment.) There have been separate 
reports that Nelly Furtado performed at the August 2007 
birthday bash for Kulibayev's wife, Dinara Nazarbayeva. 
Kulibayev also appears willing to spend his fortune on 
others. According to Turkish diplomat Isik, when the 
Kempinski group recently built luxury villas in Bodrum, 
Turkey, Kulibayev bought up a number of them -- at a cost of 
4-5 million dollars each -- and doled them out as gifts to 
friends and family. 

----------------------- 
Sports and Politics Mix 
----------------------- 

8. (C) Sports and politics mixed seamlessly in Almaty on 
April 2, when some of Kazakhstan's most prominent political 
figures participated in the Beijing Olympics torch relay. 
Torchbearers included President Nazarbayev, Presidential 
Administration business affairs head Bolat Utemuratov, Nur 
Otan party first deputy chairman Adilbek Dzhaksybekov, and 
Agency for the Regulation of Natural Monopolies head Mazhit 
Yesenbayev. All of these bigwigs, except Nazarbayev himself, 
could justify their participation in the relay based not on 
their high-ranking political offices, but rather on their 
prominent official positions in the Kazakhstani sports world. 
Utemeratov just happens to head Kazakhstan's Tennis 
Federation, while Dzhakysbekov chairs the Football Federation 
-- a position previously held by ex-Nazarbayev son-in-law 
Rakhat Aliyev. Yesenbayev heads the Judo Federation. 
KazMunayGaz chairman Uzakbay Karabalin, who heads the Boxing 
Federation, and Nazarbayev son-in-law Timur Kulibayev, who 
heads the Golf Federation, also shared in the glory of 
carrying the Olympic torch. One prominent sport federation 
president who missed the torch call was Defense Minister 
Daniyal Akhmetov. He is head of the scandal-ridden Cycling 
Federation that sponsored a team in last year's Tour de 
France which flunked the drug test. 

----------------------------------- 
Relaxation the Good, Old Soviet Way 
----------------------------------- 

9. (C) Kazakhstan's political elites also have recreational 
tastes that are not so exotic. Some, in fact, prefer to 
relax the old-fashioned way. Defense Minister Akhmetov, a 
self-proclaimed workaholic, appears to enjoy loosening up in 
the tried and true "homo sovieticus" style -- i.e., drinking 

ASTANA 00000760 003.4 OF 003 


CLASSIFIED BY POL/ECON CHIEF STEVEN FAGIN, REASONS 1.4 
(B) AND (D) 

oneself into a stupor. While most of our accounts of 
Akhmetov's indulgences with the bottle are hearsay, we do 
have "eyes on" for one episode which supports the rumors. In 
June 2007, Akhmetov showed up in grand form for a meeting 
with a visiting senior U.S. Defense Department official. 
Making no attempt to conceal his condition -- slouching back 
in his chair and slurring all kinds of Russian participles -- 
Akhmetov explained to this very senior guest that he had just 
been at a cadet graduation reception "toasting Kazakhstan's 
newly-commissioned officers." Who was toasted more -- the 
Defense Minister or the cadets -- is a matter of pure 
speculation. Akhmetov's excesses do not solely extend to the 
bottle. An insider at Astana's Radisson Hotel recently told 
us about preparations for the unbelievably lavish and 
expensive wedding of Akhmetov's son. In the Kazakh 
tradition, the parents of the groom are responsible for the 
wedding -- so it would seem that Akhmetov must have footed 
the bill. 
ORDWAY