As Hillary Clinton landed on the tarmac in Astana ahead of the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), she might have been feeling a trifle uncomfortable. Many of the world leaders she’s facing as they embark on thorny negotiations over security, conflict resolution and arms control are at the center of uncomfortable revelations through WikiLeaks – and, embarrassingly, the latest bout of indiscretions is full of juicy gossip about Clinton's Kazakh hosts.
Anyone who thought Kazakh officials were a dry-looking bunch will have to agree that appearances can be deceptive. The allegations contained in one confidential cable purportedly sent by the US Embassy in Astana suggest that US diplomats have witnessed the city’s powerful leaders letting their hair down in style. Some dance the night away, while others prefer the more prosaic entertainment of drinking themselves into oblivion.
According to the document on the lifestyles of Kazakhstan’s leadership, Prime Minister Karim Masimov was once spotted at Astana’s chicest nightspot, Chocolat, strutting his stuff -- and not on the dance floor, either, but on a raised podium above it, alone, after his companions wore themselves out with all the fun and went back to their seats.
Masimov’s dance habit looks positively tame, though, against the favored method of relaxation of Daniyal Akhmetov, who was defense minister at the time the cable was written but has been in political oblivion for the last few years. Perhaps we now have a clue why: Describing Akhmetov (who’s also a former prime minister) as “a self-proclaimed workaholic,” the cable quickly belied that image by citing an incident when he supposedly turned up plastered to a meeting with a distinguished American visitor. Akhmetov seems “to enjoy loosening up in the tried and true ‘homo sovieticus’ style -- i.e., drinking oneself into a stupor,” the cable suggested.
Akhmetov was also singled out for funding a lavish wedding for his son, while Timur Kulibayev, the president’s son-in-law, was alleged to have paid 1 million pounds sterling to lure Elton John to sing at his own birthday party.
The revelations about President Nursultan Nazarbayev are less dramatic but do suggest a penchant for the flamboyant, with reports that he owns posh property in the Emirates and a stable of around 40 expensive horses that he keeps outside Astana.
This wasn’t quite the image Astana was hoping to project for the summit, but Kazakh officials can take solace in the fact that there are plenty of delegates at the OSCE summit who’ve been embarrassed by WikiLeaks, too. And when the hard work is done, they’ll all have one consolation -- these guys know how to party, so the receptions that Kazakhstan’s laying on will provide lavish and entertaining venues for them to drown their sorrows.
Joanna Lillis is a journalist based in Almaty and author of Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan.
Sign up for Eurasianet's free weekly newsletter. Support Eurasianet: Help keep our journalism open to all, and influenced by none.