US Senator and Congressman Visit IATP Access Site in Almaty, Kazakhstan

On May 29, Senator Conrad Burns (R-Montana), Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-Montana), and other members of an American delegation to Kazakhstan joined representatives of the US Embassy and alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programs to learn more about the Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The delegation made IATP one of its stops, which included meetings with Kazakhstan's president, ministers, and business leaders. Senator Burns is the Chairman of the Communications Subcommittee, and he has worked on Internet deregulation, the introduction of broadband in rural areas, and new Internet technologies. As Senator Burns entered the IATP access site, he expressed interest in IREX's work.

IREX Internet programs staff covered the program's core areas of access, training, and Web content development. By providing free Internet access and training, IATP lays the groundwork for the country's democratic and professional development through free exchange of information and developing local-language Web content.

US Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer Stephen Guice explained to the Senator the impact of the program and its ability to create Internet users, citing the IATP site in Shymkent. When the IATP site opened in Shymkent, there were no Internet cafes in the city. A year later, four or five cafes opened. As less than three percent of the people in Kazakhstan (and less than one percent in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) are regularly using the Internet, IATP still has a lot of work ahead.

One of its main target audience groups has historically been alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programs. Stanley Currier, regional manager of IREX's Education Programs Division, spoke about educational and professional exchanges, and shared how alumni of these programs benefit from IATP.

At the end of the visit, Senator Burns asked about the budgets for ECA-funded programs, and expressed enthusiasm about the benefits of the program. As he drew a comparison between rural areas of Montana and Kazakhstan, he voiced a strong belief that everyone should have access to education and technology regardless of where they live.