The sixth meeting of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue (ESPD) between Kazakhstan and the United States took place, with First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Akan Rakhmetullin and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu leading the discussions.
This event brought together representatives from various governmental bodies and departments of both nations to review the progress and outline future steps in their strategic partnership.
The delegates evaluated the outcomes of their collaborative efforts to date, addressing a broad spectrum of issues on both the bilateral and regional agendas. The discussions stressed the importance of advancing political and economic cooperation, along with enhancing the human dimension of their partnership.
A key topic of the meeting was the visit by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murat Nurtleu, to the United States in March. His meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was highlighted as a pivotal moment in strengthening bilateral ties.
Rakhmetullin emphasized that the political and democratic reforms introduced by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev are in alignment with the priorities of the bilateral agenda. He also highlighted the importance of developing infrastructure projects and transport routes, which are crucial for enhancing bilateral trade and economic relations.
Energy cooperation and critical minerals were also prominent on the agenda. The U.S. delegation praised the steady progress in the bilateral partnership, particularly noting the success of initiatives launched after the C5+1 Summit of Heads of State in September of the previous year.
Concluding the meeting, both parties reiterated their commitment to furthering the agreements reached, ensuring that the partnership continues to develop on a mutually beneficial basis.
In addition to the main meeting, the Kazakh delegation held separate discussions with various U.S. officials, including leaders from the State Department and the Office of the Trade Representative. A roundtable with American civil society representatives provided a platform for Kazakhstan to present recent innovations in national legislation aimed at protecting human rights.
The next meeting of the Kazakh-American Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue is scheduled to take place in 2025 in Astana.
US-Kazakhstan Trade Dynamics
In February 2024, the United States exported goods worth $81.3mn to Kazakhstan and imported goods valued at $167mn from them, resulting in a trade deficit of $85.5mn. Between February 2023 and February 2024, U.S. exports to Kazakhstan decreased by $91.7mn (a decline of 53%) from $173mn to $81.3mn, while imports increased by $9.12mn (5.78%) from $158mn to $167mn.
The drop in U.S. exports to Kazakhstan in February 2024 was primarily due to decreased exports of poultry meat ($-3.27mn or a decrease of 65.7%), tantalum ($-713,000 or a decrease of 49.3%), and electric heaters ($-485,000 or a decrease of 91.5%).
Meanwhile, the increase in U.S. imports from Kazakhstan in February 2024 was mainly driven by higher imports of refined petroleum ($10.3mn or an increase of 44.4%), titanium ($5.43mn or an increase of 304%), and fish fillets ($1.55mn or an increase of 2,760%).
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