Kazakhstan vs. Borat: How Not to Handle Borat

Here's something I can't help but share. As someone with a soft spot for the country of Kazakhstan, and someone who is on the KZ embassy's mailing list, I couldn't help but share this note from the embassy--sent by the embassy's Roman Vassilenko. Roman is the communications director for the embassy and has himself been named in one of the many ramblings by the notorious "Borat" character (as Borat stood outside the KZ embassy last month).

I share this bulletin with you (below) because I find it a case study in "how a target government should not handle Ali G and publicity stunts to launch a film" like this one. The KZ embassy would have best handled the PR crisis that is Ali G by steering clear of the controversy rather than feeding the fire.

Here's the excerpt from the a bulletin from the embassy of Kazkhstan, emailed by the Kazahkhstani embassy's Roman Vassilenko, KAZAKHSTAN News Bulletin October 27, 2006:

"Our Take on “Borat” The upcoming movie “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”, and the Borat character, of course, have nothing to do with the real Kazakhstan. The only actual fact about Kazakhstan in the movie is the country’s geographic location. At the same time, we hope the movie will spur increased interest in the real Kazakhstan among those who see it.

Here are some reasons:

Kazakhstan is the world’s ninth largest country located in Central Asia between Russia and China. Being at the heart of the Great Silk Road for centuries, Kazakhstan has been and continues to be a link between the East and the West.
Independent since 1991, Kazakhstan, under President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s prudent leadership, has turned into an economically strong and dynamically developing democratic nation.
Kazakhstan, a Muslim majority country, is home to 130 ethnic groups and 40 religious faiths. Pope John Paul II, who visited Kazakhstan in 2001, called our country “an example of harmony between men and women of different origins and beliefs.”
Kazakhstan shut down the world’s largest nuclear test site at Semipalatinsk and voluntarily rid itself of the world’s fourth largest nuclear arsenal, eliminating its infrastructure in partnership with the United States. Today, Kazakhstan is a recognized global leader in the fight to stop proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Kazakhstan is a strategic partner of the United States and supports the U.S. in the war on terrorism since the first days after the 9/11 tragedy. Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian country with troops in Iraq who have already destroyed more than 4 million pieces of deadly ordnance and continue their mission.
With oil reserves estimated at 100 billion barrels, Kazakhstan expects to be one of the world’s top ten oil producers within a decade.
More than 400 U.S. companies work in Kazakhstan and have already invested more than $15 billion in our economy.
Everyone who wants to know Kazakhstan better will discover a diverse, fascinating and hospitable nation. Welcome to the true Kazakhstan yet to be discovered!"