Central Asia

Central AsiaSec. 698. (a) Funds appropriated by this Act may be made available for assistance for the Government of Kazakhstan only if the Secretary of State determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations that the Government of Kazakhstan has made significant improvements in the protection of human rights and civil liberties during the preceding 6 month period, including by fulfilling obligations recommended by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the areas of election procedures, media freedom, freedom of religion, free assembly and minority rights, and by meeting the commitments it made in connection with its assumption of the Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2010.(b) The Secretary of State may waive subsection (a) if the Secretary determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations that such a waiver is important to the national security of the United States.(c) Not later than October 1, 2008, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives describing the following:(1) The defense articles, defense services, and financial assistance provided by the United States to the countries of Central Asia during the 12-month period ending 30 days prior to submission of such report.(2) The use during such period of defense articles, defense services, and financial assistance provided by the United States by units of the armed forces, border guards, or other security forces of such countries.(d) For purposes of this section, the term “countries of Central Asia” means Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.