What did Nazarbayev's Visit Give to US and Kazakhstan?

• 01.25.2018, 17:57
•  EEU,  America,  Asia,  World

Dispatch News Desk

The visit of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to the United States was a historic visit, which, by the way, took place in the background of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the UN Security Council. At a meeting with US President Donald Trump, Nazarbayev stressed that he appreciated Washington's political support for Astana. He recalled that he was the first president of the Central Asian region to come to Washington to negotiate with Trump and that's a great honor for him.

It should be noted that Nazarbayev last visited the United States in 2016, when President Barack Obama was in power. But now a number of experts say that the visit of the President of Kazakhstan to the US highlights the international issues and relations. It's about the country's aspiration to become a magnet for investments and the role of Kazakhstan in the UN and the OSCE. Kazakhstan clearly shows that it tries to become an international actor.

It should be noted that the US-Kazakh relations have a long history. The United States was the third country on December 25, 1991 (after Turkey and Russia) recognizing the independence of Kazakhstan. And in January 1992, the US was the first to establish an embassy in Kazakhstan, Almaty, which later moved to Astana in 2006. Since the recognition of independence till the present day, constructive bilateral relations have been formed in the spheres of trade, regional security, economic, civil society, democracy and so on. By the way, a number of experts note that these relations were built on the basis of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. And this is not accidental because the US has actively assisted Kazakhstan in the issue of nuclear weapons, providing more than $300 million for that process.

Another platform for cooperation between the two countries is Afghanistan. After the events of September 11, 2001, the United States began to pay more attention to the countries in the region and repeatedly expressed gratitude for the efforts made in the establishment of stability in Afghanistan. However, during the presidency of Barack Obama, the US interest in the Central Asian region began to decline as the latter was about to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. Now, Afghanistan, where there is still a US contingent and where struggle continues against the ''Islamic State'' terrorist organization, is again in the spotlight of the United States. It should be noted that the discussion of the Afghan issue is also important for Kazakhstan in the context of regional diplomacy. Official Astana does not hide that it wants to raise its role in the Central Asian region. And it is not accidental that during the meeting in the US, Trump and Nazarbayev discussed the Afghan issue and have already agreed to a peaceful settlement of the conflict. In addition, the parties agreed to carry out steps that would promote the development of political and economic cooperation in the region.

The meeting between Nursultan Nazarbayev and Donald Trump is also important for Kazakstan in order to attract new American investments in the Kazakh economy. It should be noted that more than 20 agreements worth US $ 7 billion were signed during Nazarbayev's visit. In addition, Kazakhstan has purchased US $ 2.5 billion in American products and services. It should be noted that since 2005, the US has already invested $ 30 billion in Kazakhstan. About 500 companies with American capital nowadays operate in Kazakhstan.

During the meeting, Trump and Nazarbayev signed three intergovernmental agreements. These include the Agreement on International Tax Regime, the Agreement on Non-Payment of Aircraft Air Navigation Services, and the Protocol to the Agreement on the Consolidation of Commercial Rail Transit within Kazakhstan.

It should be noted that Nazarbayev's visit to the US can be beneficial not only for Kazakhstan. This is a good opportunity for Trump to improve relations with Russia, and return to Central Asia, making Kazakhstan a bridge. Finally, let's add that meeting with Trump is not the only reason for which Nazarbayev left for the United States. From January 1, 2018, Kazakhstan assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council, where on January 18, under the chairmanship of Nazarbayev, debates will be held on the topic: "Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: confidence-building measures''.