Joint Statement of the Fifth Kazakhstan-US Strategic Partnership Dialogue

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ASTANA. KAZINFORM Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met in New York City, on the margins of the 71st United Nations General Assembly, initiating the Fifth meeting of the U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership Dialogue.

On the eve of the celebrations this year of the 25th anniversaries of the independence of Kazakhstan and the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Kazakhstan and the United States assessed that the strategic partnership between the two countries has never been stronger. The two sides pledged to build on this momentum by pursuing new areas of engagement under various bilateral and multilateral platforms.

As the first ever Central Asian state to be elected to the UN Security Council, Kazakhstan looks forward to working closely with the United States to advance shared priorities, Kazakh Foreign Ministry informed.

The United States welcomed Kazakhstan’s leadership in supporting security and development in Afghanistan and in advancing regional economic integration in Central Asia, including through engagement in the C5+1 format. Kazakhstan and the United States reaffirmed their shared commitment to preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Both sides pledged to deepen their cooperation in countering the threats of terrorism and violent extremism.

Kazakhstan and the United States committed to combating climate change, and the United States welcomed Kazakhstan’s determination to ratify the 21st Conference of the Parties by the end of this year. The two countries stressed the importance of energy security, and the United States welcomed Astana Expo 2017, with its focus on green energy.

Delegations headed by Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Ashikbayev and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal reviewed strong Kazakhstan-U.S. cooperation and challenges on international and regional affairs, security, economics, environment, human rights, and other issues of mutual interest.

Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev also held separate meetings with Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs Bathsheba Crocker, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom David Saperstein, Special Representative to Muslim Communities Shaarik Zafar, and Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Arsalan Suleman and discussed ways to advance our agenda and opportunities for cooperation across the full range of bilateral, regional, and global issues.

The two sides agreed to hold a full interagency Strategic Partnership Dialogue in 2017 and continue high-level engagement in other fora.

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