03 August 2004
General Abizaid Praises Kazakhstan's Role in Iraq
CENTCOM commander meets with Kazakh officials, soldiers
The United States is "very appreciative of the role played by Kazakhstan in regional stability and in supporting efforts in Iraq," said General John Abizaid, the commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), August 2.
In a joint press conference with Kazakh Minister of Defense Mukhtar Altynbayev in Astana, Abizaid said his meetings with Kazakh officials, including President Nursultan Nazarbayev, focused on Iraq and Afghanistan.
Abizaid said the United States hopes to "continue to develop this very important military relationship in the mutual interest of both of our countries."
"And of course, in the future, we hope to develop further our ability to help work on border issues and counterterrorism issues, because all of us know that this region is one where extremism is playing too great of a role," he added.
Abizaid said he could "think of no finer example of stability bringing prosperity than Kazakhstan," and he hoped "the same model can be duplicated in other areas in the region."
Earlier in the day, Abizaid met with Kazakh soldiers who have recently returned from Iraq, presenting each of them with the central commander's coin for excellent achievement. Thanking them for their brave and patient work with mines and explosives, he said, "The only way that Iraq will become an independent state is if Iraqis, coalition members --- countries like the United States and Kazakhstan --- work together to make it a better place, and that requires soldiers."
Following is a transcript of the joint press conference followed by a transcript of Abizaid's meeting with Kazakh soldiers. The transcripts were provided by the U.S. Embassy in Astana.
(begin transcript)
JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE, KAZAKH MINISTER OF DEFENSE MUKHTAR ALTYNBAYEV AND GENERAL JOHN ABIZAID, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND (CENTCOM)
Presidential Administration
Astana, Kazakhstan
August 2, 2004
MINISTER ALTYNBAYEV: Today we had meetings with General Abizaid, in which we exchanged opinions on the situation in Afghanistan, in the region, in Iraq, and on the work of our battalion that is in Iraq. General Abizaid also met with two groups that have completed their peacekeeping mission. He expressed his gratitude and highly praised their work. He has just now finished meeting with the Commander-in-Chief, our President Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev. They also exchanged their views on the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq.
INTERPRETER: Please, go ahead, Mr. General.
GENERAL ABIZAID: Thank you very much. I am honored to be here. We've had a very good day of the meetings today, starting with the Foreign Minister and then the Defense Minister. And, of course, we've just finished a meeting with the President, which was very beneficial in discussing the mutual relationship between the United States of America and Kazakhstan.
We are very appreciative of the role played by Kazakhstan in regional stability and in supporting efforts in Iraq, as evidenced by the contingent of engineers that have served there since the beginning of the effort. And as much as I have enjoyed the meetings with the leadership of Kazakhstan, the highlight of my day was meeting with the soldiers of the Kazakh engineer detachment recently returned from Iraq.
Thank you.
QUESTION RIA-NOVOSTI: CSTO antiterrorist exercises have started today. Is it planned to have any coordination of antiterrorist activity between the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the United States, and Uzbekistan?
MINISTER ALTYNBAYEV: I will give the answer. The first stage of the CSTO exercises is starting in Kazakhstan on the fourth [of August]. You know that, in terms of rotation, Kazakhstan is currently in charge -- the Chairman of the Committee of Chiefs of Staff of Kazakhstan is leading the CSTO and will be heading it for a year. That's why the second stage will be conducted on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. KazBat, aviation, helicopters will participate during our part. As for coordination with NATO or the United States, these exercises will take place a bit later; it's called "Stepnoi Oryol" [Steppe Eagle], in which Great Britain, the United States, Turkey, our detachments will participate; there will also be some observers.
QUESTION KHABAR AGENCY: Two questions. First one -- you mentioned certain aid to military development. What is this aid about; what does it include? And second question -- today, you gave certain signs or orders to the soldiers of Kazakhstan? What are these?
GENERAL ABIZAID: Today, I had the opportunity with the soldiers to give them what's known as a Central Commander's coin for excellent achievement. And I also noticed when I was presenting the coin to these great young soldiers that many of them already had American medals. And I'm very proud of the relationship that developed between Kazakhstani soldiers and American soldiers in a very difficult combat zone.
And with regard to our levels of cooperation, we have continued to develop with regard to foreign military sales, to the training and education of Kazakh officers in the United States, to mutual exercises, and, of course and most importantly, to working together in Iraq and will continue to develop this very important military relationship in the mutual interest of both of our countries. And of course, in the future, we hope to develop further our ability to help work on border issues and counterterrorism issues, because all of us know that this region is one where extremism is playing too great of a role. I can think of no finer example of stability bringing prosperity than Kazakhstan. And so, we hope that the same model can be duplicated in other areas in the region, so that we may move forward to a better future for the people of the region.
(End Joint Press Conference)
(Begin Meeting with KazBat Soldiers)
GENERAL JOHN ABIZAID COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND (CENTCOM)
MEETING WITH KAZBAT SOLDIERS
Ministry of Defense
Astana, Kazakhstan
Monday 2 August 2004
ABIZAID (seated at microphone): To the soldiers of the Kazakhstan detachment that served in Iraq, thank you very much. Doesn't Iraq look different on the television back home than it did while you were serving there? It's amazing how we soldiers see different things than people back home see. I know your work dealing with mines, explosives, and improvised explosive devices was difficult work, and I want to thank you for your brave and patient work in making an Iraq that is soon to be free and independent. The only way that Iraq will become an independent state is if Iraqis, coalition members -- countries like the United States and Kazakhstan -- work together to make it a better place, and that requires soldiers.
Minister, with your permission, I would like to present the soldiers with a small token of our appreciation -- a CENTCOM commander's coin, which is a tradition for good work from the commander to the soldier. If we could take a minute or so for me to walk around the room and present that I would be honored. I'll start with the commanders.
SOLDIER (in Russian): (initial phrase inaudible) I entered the academy this year.
ABIZAID (walking around): Congratulations. Did you have much of an opportunity to work with Americans?
SOLDIER: Yes.
ABIZAID: And I hope it was a good relationship?
SOLDIER: Yes.
ABIZAID: Thank you.
SOLDIER: Thank you.
ABIZAID: And I'll just go around and meet each of the soldiers? (begins to thank troops)
ABIZAID: I see you're wearing a medal that's very familiar to me. What did you do to earn this medal?
SOLDIER: I did a good job.
ABIZAID: (laughs) Thank you.
SOLDIER: Thank you.
ABIZAID: I see another American medal here. (continues thanking troops) They have a lot of American medals on them Mr. Minister. I'm proud to see our medals on your soldiers. (continues walking around, thanking troops)
ABIZAID: What did you do to earn this medal?
SOLDIER: I was a member of the engineering contingent. I was a medic, and there weren't any problems with sickness while I was there.
ABIZAID: Did you have a good relationship with the Americans?
SOLDIER: Very good. We worked together. We had very close relationships.
ABIZAID: Soldiers can always work well together. (continues thanking troops)
ABIZAID: Did you work with the Americans also? How was your relationship?
SOLDIER (in English): Very good.
ABIZAID: Oh, you speak English. Did they teach you how to speak better American English?
SOLDIER (in English): Yes, there was a special program.
ABIZAID: Good. Thank you. (continues thanking troops)
ABIZAID (to Minister Altynbayev): Thank you for letting me do this.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=August&x=200408031433261CJsamohT0.6224787&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
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