 Kazakhstan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Abuseitov confirmed, on January 16, 2003, that Kazakh security officials had interviewed two Kazakhstan citizens in Guantanamo.He described the two detainees as "young", and stated that Kazakhstan had appealed to the USA for their release.On November 2003, the Central Asia Caucasus Institute Analyst reported that
Kazakh Foreign Minister Qasymzhomart Toqaev
Kazakhstan had been negotiated with the USA for the release of its citizens.