US Features
Preview: Bush to raise democracy with Kazakh leader, but not too much
By Chris Cermak
Sep 28, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Washington - When US President George W Bush meets Friday with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbeyev, the Central Asian nation's stalled democratic reforms will be on the agenda.

But nobody expects more than a superficial discussion.

Kazakhstan has become a key strategic ally of the United States in recent years, in large part due to its wealth of oil and gas reserves. Nazarbeyev has sent troops to Iraq and cooperated with flyovers during the invasion of Afghanistan.

Kazakhstan's military coordination and prime geopolitical location between Russia and the Middle East, has made it a strategic partner in the fight against terrorism.

Even as Bush prepares to welcome Nazarbeyev Friday at the White House, critics argue that the warming relations ignore Kazakhstan's increasing turn towards authoritarianism.

Nazarbeyev was re-elected with 93 per cent of the popular vote in December 2005 in an election described as having 'severe flaws' by Richard Boucher, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs. International monitors including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) also voiced concerns about voting irregularities and 'intimidation' in the run-up to the vote.

The New York Times has reported that two US democracy organizations - the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the International Republican Institute - were effectively shut down in July in the country, charged by authorities with providing funds for opposition groups.

The US government has yet to criticize the move publicly, as it works to reverse the decision, the Times reported. The IRI declined to comment on Friday's meeting or its troubles in Kazakhstan, which functions largely without an independent media.

While the US government has pushed for greater political reforms in the past - though stopping short of criticizing Nazarbeyev or his government specifically - it was unclear to what extent the topic would be raised Friday as Bush seeks a balance between a pro- democracy agenda and maintaining close ties on energy and the war on terrorism.

'Typically at such meetings, the topic of democracy does come up,' White House spokesman Tony Snow said Thursday. 'The president has said that freedom really is at the heart of the administration's agenda.'

Snow denied a serious clash between the twin goals of US policy toward Kazakhstan of maintaining close ties and promoting democracy.

'I'm not sure it's that tricky. The president has got his own instincts on this,' Snow said.

US Vice President Dick Cheney, in a visit in May to Kazakhstan, also held back from criticizing Nazarbeyev's hold on the country, even when pushed by reporters.

'I have expressed my admiration for all that's been accomplished here in Kazakhstan in the last 15 years, both in the economic and the political realm,' Cheney said.