Below are the references to the documents signed during the visit as well as clippings of public reaction to it.
( Also available at http://www.reuters.com)
KAZAKHSTAN AND THE U.S. CONFIRM "COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP"
The year-end of 2001 was marked by a momentous event in the Kazakhstan-U.S. relations.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the United States on December 18-21 at the official invitation of President George W. Bush. The trip resulted in signing of a number of bilateral documents, including the Joint Statement of the two Presidents on the New Kazakhstan- American Relationship (www.whitehouse.gov), in which they confirmed their "commitment to strengthen the long-term strategic partnership and cooperation", and the Energy Partnership Declaration (www.state.gov) that highlighted "along-term energy partnership" as "one of the key elements of the strategic interaction" between Kazakhstan and the USA.
Mr. Nazarbayev began his visit in Houston, Texas where he met with President George H.W. Bush and former Secretary James A. Baker III, who in 1991 had laid the foundations for the partnership between the two nations. Mr. Nazarbayev presented former President Bush with one of the highest Kazakhstan's awards, the Order of Dostyk of the 1st degree, in recognition of his contribution to the development of an independent Kazakhstan. While in Houston, President Nazarbayev spoke at the Baker Institute at Rice University (www.bakerinstitute.org) on geopolitical challenges facing Kazakhstan. He also met with executives of the largest American companies working in Kazakhstan, whose investment over the years totaled 5 billion dollars, making the U.S. the biggest single foreign investor in the republic.
President Nazarbayev then traveled to New York City in order to pay respect to the victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, among whom was a Kazakhstan citizen. At Ground Zero he laid a wreath and signed the Memorial Wall saying that Kazakhstan "feels sincere sympathy for the American people" and pledging commitment to "spare no effort in building a safer and better world for all". In New York, the President also met with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan for talks on Kazakhstan's role in post-conflict settlement in Afghanistan.
The official part of President Nazarbayev's visit took place in Washington, DC, where he met President George W. Bush, members of Congress and key Cabinet officials.
During his meeting with Co-Chairs of the Congressional Silk Road Caucus, Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), who was presented with the Order of Dostyk, and Representative Joseph Pitts (R-PA(16)), as well as other prominent members of this group, President Nazarbayev thanked them for their continued support for strengthening the bilateral cooperation. He was particularly grateful for their sponsoring of legislation to graduate Kazakhstan from an outdated Jackson-Vanik amendment and grant it permanent normal trade relations. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) presented the President with a copy of the Senate Resolution # 194 congratulating the people of Kazakhstan on the 10th anniversary of independence (see below).
On December 21 Vice President Cheney hosted President Nazarbayev in his residence for lunch with key Administration members, including secretaries of the State, Commerce, and Treasury.
During the talks at the White House later that day that lasted less than one hour, Presidents Nazarbayev and Bush discussed a number of wide-ranging issues on the bilateral agenda. In their Joint Statement, they pledged to advance "a shared vision of a peaceful, prosperous and sovereign Kazakhstan in the 21st century that is increasingly integrated into the global economy and the community of democratic nations". Kazakhstan and the U.S. further agreed to "advance cooperation on counterterrorism and non-proliferation, democratic political and free-market economic reform, and market-based investment and development of energy resources".
They discussed extensively the on-going U.S.-led international campaign against terrorism and Kazakhstan's role in rebuilding Afghanistan.
"We reiterate our intent to cooperate in the war against terrorism to its conclusion and within the framework of the international coalition. We also pledge our readiness to cooperate in Afghanistan's reconstruction", the two presidents underscored in the statement.
Kazakhstan proposals on post-conflict Afghanistan include the use of its resources across the wide spectrum of needs. Following the visits of high-level Kazakhstan delegations to Kabul and for the international donors' conference in Tokyo in mid-January, Kazakhstan declared its commitment to serve as a front base for humanitarian efforts. In addition to 70,000 tons of grain supplied by Kazakhstan to help feed the starving Afghans in the framework of the World Food Organization, of which 25,000 tons have already been delivered, the country pledged to supply 3,000 tons of grain in humanitarian aid. It also said it was ready to supply the additional 850,000 tons on commercial basis. Kazakhstan is willing to send its engineers, builders, teachers, doctors, machinery and equipment, etc. to help rebuild the war-torn country. The republic is ready to provide a peacekeeping force for Afghanistan and has pledged to send its Kazbat, a peacekeeping battalion trained under the UN auspices, to join in the British-led international force in Kabul and surrounding areas.
Bilateral cooperation in security sphere was one of the main topics on the agenda of the December 2001 visit. Presidents Nazarbayev and Bush said that the United States would consider enhancing Kazakhstan's assistance programs to strengthen border security and increase defensive capabilities of its military.
Having recognized that Kazakhstan was the first country to renounce its nuclear-weapons status voluntarily, the two presidents reaffirmed their commitment to the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "Both sides agree on the need for urgent attention to improving the physical protection and accounting of all nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons materials in all possessor states, and to preventing illicit trafficking in these materials," the joint statement said.
The U.S. spent $78 million on facilities under the Cooperative Threat Reduction program to assist Kazakhstan in eliminating START-related systems such as intercontinental ballistic missile silo launchers, strategic heavy bombers, and liquid rocket fuel storage. The presidents pledged to expand their cooperation on nonproliferation under that pact.
Economic and energy cooperation between Kazakhstan and the U.S. was another major theme of the visit.
"We will strive to further develop an attractive, transparent and predictable investment climate. Achieving this goal requires removal of legislative and administrative barriers to investment, strengthening respect for contracts and the rule of law, reducing corruption, and enhancing Kazakhstan's strong record on economic reform," Presidents Nazarbayev and Bush said in their statement.
The U.S. voiced its intention to cooperate with Kazakhstan's integration in the global economy by supporting Kazakhstan's accession to the World Trade Organization.
"We affirm our desire to strengthen our energy partnership to diversify export options for Kazakhstan's oil and gas and to diversify global energy supplies. We share the view that a key element of this effort is development of multiple pipelines that will ensure delivery of Caspian energy to world markets, unfettered by monopolies or constrained by geographic chokepoints", the two leaders said.
In the Energy Partnership Declaration, signed by Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov and Secretary of State Colin Powell, Kazakhstan and the U.S. pledged to cooperate on energy security and enhanced protection of production and transport facilities and promote further cooperation on electrical power, nuclear energy and environmental protection. For better coordination of these issues, the two nations agreed to establish a Special Energy Partnership Committee to be headed by the respective ministers of energy of Kazakhstan and the USA.
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Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and President Nursultan Nazarbayev on the New Kazakhstan-American Relationship
We declare our commitment to strengthen the long-term, strategic partnership and cooperation between our nations, seeking to advance a shared vision of a peaceful, prosperous and sovereign Kazakhstan in the 21st Century that is increasingly integrated into the global economy and the community of democratic nations. To this end, we will advance our cooperation on counterterrorism and non-proliferation, democratic political and free-market economic reform, and market-based investment and development of energy resources.
These goals further reflect our recognition that the threats of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction endanger the security not only of the United States and Kazakhstan, but of the world at large. We therefore seek to develop our security cooperation to address these challenges and foster cooperation among Kazakhstan, its Central Asian neighbors, the United States, and our European friends, partners, and allies. In pursuit of these objectives, we are determined to deepen cooperation bilaterally and within NATO's Partnership for Peace.
We reiterate our intent to cooperate in the war against terrorism to its conclusion and within the framework of the international coalition. We underscore our support for a broad-based Afghan government at peace internally and with its neighbors. We also pledge our readiness to cooperate in Afghanistan's reconstruction.
Recognizing that Kazakhstan was the first country to renounce its nuclear-weapons status voluntarily, we reaffirm our mutual commitment to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Both sides agree on the need for urgent attention to improving the physical protection and accounting of all nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons materials in all possessor states, and to preventing illicit trafficking in these materials. We pledge to expand our cooperation on these matters under the United States-Kazakhstan Cooperative Threat Reduction Agreement.
In the spirit of partnership, Kazakhstan and the United States intend to strengthen joint activity in ensuring security and stability in Central Asia. We agree that the expansion of trade and economic ties among the states of Central Asia, and deepening of regional integration in important areas, such as the environment, water resources, and transportation systems are a basis for regional security. The United States will consider enhancing assistance programs to Kazakhstan to strengthen border security and to increase the defensive capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
We recognize that free market economies and the rule of law provide the most effective means to advance the welfare of our citizens and the stability of our societies. The United States and Kazakhstan pledge to advance our bilateral economic, trade, and investment relations, including through expanded contacts between the business communities of our countries. We will strive to further develop an attractive, transparent and predictable investment climate. Achieving this goal requires removal of legislative and administrative barriers to investment, strengthening respect for contracts and the rule of law, reducing corruption, and enhancing Kazakhstan's strong record on economic reform.
We also intend to cooperate to advance Kazakhstan's integration in the global economy by supporting Kazakhstan's accession to the World Trade Organization on the basis of standard and agreed criteria, and its graduation from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment.
We affirm our desire to strengthen our energy partnership to diversify export options for Kazakhstan's oil and gas and to diversify global energy supplies. We share the view that a key element of this effort is development of multiple pipelines that will ensure delivery of Caspian energy to world markets, unfettered by monopolies or constrained by geographic chokepoints. We welcome the recent opening of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) Pipeline and underscore our support for development of the Aktau-Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil export route on commercial terms. We will also work together to protect the rights of foreign investors and to abide by decisions of courts, particularly of international courts of arbitration.
Recognizing that democracy is a cornerstone of long-term stability, we reaffirm our desire to strengthen democratic institutions and processes, such as independent media, local government, pluralism, and free and fair elections. We also reiterate our mutual commitments to advance the rule of law and promote freedom of religion and other universal human rights as promoted by the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, of which we are both members. Finally, we pledge to enhance understanding between the citizens of our two countries by promoting people-to-people exchanges, initiatives of non-governmental organizations, and contacts between business people.
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U.S. Department of State
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 21, 2001
The Energy Partnership between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the United States of America
The Energy Partnership Declaration illustrates U.S. commitment to working with the government of Kazakhstan to promote development of its energy sector in accordance with international standards of responsible economic, social, and environmental management.
Kazakhstan has the potential within the next decade to become the second largest oil-exporting nation in the world. The new Kashagan oil field alone, for example, has oil reserves greater than those of the entire United States.
The Energy Partnership Declaration reaffirms U.S. support for multiple export routes of oil, particularly along the proposed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline linking Kazakhstan's oil fields to the world markets via Turkey.
It also strengthens cooperation on energy security and enhanced protection of production and transport facilities and promotes further cooperation on electrical power, nuclear energy, and environmental protection.
[End]
Released on December 21, 2001
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U.S. Department of State
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 21, 2001
United States-Kazakhstan Secure Link Agreement
The Secure Link Agreement will enhance cooperation in the area of arms control information exchange. Representatives of the U.S. Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC) and the NRRC-equivalent center of Kazakhstan negotiated the Secure Link Agreement. In December 2000, it was completed and initialed by both sides.
This agreement concerns the technical aspect of the continuing cooperation in the area of arms control information exchange. Moreover, it provides a legal basis for the existence and continued operation of the Government-to-Government Communications Link between the United States and Kazakhstan for the exchange of arms control treaty notifications. It also pledges the U.S. and Kazakhstani sides to communications cooperation in support of any new arms control agreements or arrangements involving information exchange.
The original Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Agreement was signed in 1987 by Former Secretary of State Schultz and then-Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze Because the 1987 agreement did not extend to the successor states upon the breakup of the Soviet Union, separate agreements were required for Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
[End]
Released on December 21, 2001
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The Washington Times
December 22, 2001
U.S. action is helping Central Asia, says Nazarbayev
By David R. Sands
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan has dealt a powerful blow to Islamic fundamentalist movements that threaten all of Central Asia, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev said in an interview yesterday.
Reflecting the country's new diplomatic visibility with the massive U.S. deployment to the region, Kazakh and U.S. officials during the president's visit adopted a new statement on strategic relations and signed an accord on long-term cooperation on energy exploration and transportation.
"The defeat of the Taliban has influenced the situation in Central Asia very positively," Mr. Nazarbayev said in the interview at the Blair House, just hours after meeting with President Bush and senior administration officials. He spoke through an interpreter.
"The Taliban movement and the Afghan bases were a center for terrorism in our region," he said. "Inside Kazakhstan now we see no threat from Islamic extremism, but it could have penetrated our country and threatened control of oil routes. Now that threat is destroyed."
But, he added, the al Qaeda terrorist network remains a threat that must be dealt with, even with the success in Afghanistan.
Although not a front-line state in the Afghanistan campaign, Kazakhstan has won praise from U.S. officials for its early support for the global counterterrorism effort, including the offer of Kazakh military bases and airspace for the United States and its allies. Mr. Nazarbayev said Kazakh intelligence services are also working with their American counterparts.
"If there are other needs" as the global terrorism campaign proceeds, Kazakhstan "will be willing to supply them," the president said.
The new focus on Central Asian security has been a diplomatic boon to many of the region's leaders, who had seen relations with the United States suffer in recent years due to concerns over human rights violation and corruption. Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov, like Mr. Nazarbayev a past target of human-rights complaints, is expected to visit Washington next month.
Despite repeated State Department criticism of Kazakhstan's human rights record and treatment of political and media critics, Mr. Nazarbayev lunched yesterday with Vice President Richard B. Cheney before meeting with President Bush and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell at the White House.
In the Blair House interview, the Kazakh president again made a pitch for a pipeline to carry Kazakh oil through Iran, saying that the route was the most efficient economically.
He said U.S. laws banning participation in such a pipeline only hurt American oil firms. But the Bush administration so far has refused to consider easing the ban.
The warm U.S. reception for Mr. Nazarbayev has elicited some criticism.
"We are aware that the United States needs help after what happened September 11," Bigeldy Gabdullin said in an interview this week. "But it is also important that our people know about their leader. We don't know of any burning issue that would cause the U.S. president to give a photo opportunity to President Nazarbayev."
Mr. Gabdullin was editor of an opposition newspaper in Almaty, Kazakhstan, before being forced to flee the country as his offices were firebombed. He also faced legal charges for "insulting the honor and dignity of the president."
Mr. Nazarbayev dismissed criticisms of his country's human rights record, citing the large number of political parties and media outlets available in Kazakhstan. He said the topic of human rights had not come up in his talks with President Bush.
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Bush hosts Kazakh President, signals `deepening relationship', by Bill Pietrucha, The Washington Times, December 21, 2001
Ten years ago this Christmas, then President Bush became the first world leader to recognize Kazakhstan's independence from the Soviet Union. A decade later, a second President Bush looks to reconfirm the stable partnership between America and Kazakhstan.
U.S. President George Bush and Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev may be meeting today in only their first face-to-face visit, but the bilateral relationship between the two countries has blossomed since George Bush Sr. recognized the independent Kazakhstan ten years ago. Since then, the two countries have developed a wide-ranging bilateral relationship, most recently in the war against ter-rorism.
According to The White House, today's talks will center on energy issues, economic reforms, and anti-terrorism efforts.
"The visit reflects the deepening relationship between the United States and Kazakhstan on counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, democracy, energy and pipelines, economic reform and Kazakhstan's integration into the global economy," according to a White House statement.
Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Kazakh President Nazarbayev in Kazakhstan. They discussed the strategic partnership between the two countries, particularly in the areas of regional security, cooperation in the fight against international terrorism, provision of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, and prospects for cooperation between the United States and Kazakhstan in other areas. '
According to Powell, he and Nazarbayev "had a thorough discussion of all the issues that define and structure our strategic partnership and relationship."
Nazarbayev told Powell he was ready to station forces of the antiterrorist coalition in the country. Although Kazakhstan has not been asked directly to station forces there, Nazarbayev told Powell that "if such proposals were made, then Kazakhstan will consider them positively."
Kazakhstan's renunciation of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction are not merely a recent effort. In 1993, Kazakhstan became the first nation to voluntarily renounce nuclear weapons in 1993, and the next year transferred over a half ton of weapons-grade uranium to the United States. In 1995, Kazakhstan removed its last nuclear warheads.
"From the first few days [after Sept. 11], Kazakhstan announced that it would be in a coalition with those who struggle against terrorism by all means at its disposal," Nazarbayev said. "We have kept our word. We are following our obligations as determined by UN resolutions as well as our agreement with the United States. Kazakhstan has a com-mon position with America on the post-war rehabilitation of Afghanistan so that it can become a friendly and peaceful state."
Even before Sept. 11, Nazarbayev, speaking at a UN Summit, warned that Afghanistan "posed a serious threat for the world. We have seen how they handle drugs, weapons, how terrorist bases are created there."
But economics, rather than anti-terror coalitions, are the backbone of U.S.-Kazakh relations. The United States is Kazakhstan's largest investor, with American companies investing more than S5 billion in Kazakhstan since 1993.
Nazarbayev noted that with one third of the total volume of investment in Kazakhstan's economy coming from the United States, the economic cooperation has a very solid basis.
"The huge oil and gas resources of Kazakhstan and diversification of supply routes to world markets, in which we have actively cooperated with the Government of the United States of America, have yielded positive results," Nazarbayev said.
Powell said he was "particularly impressed" with the amount of money they [U.S. firms] are looking to invest in Kazakhstan.
"They were talking in the range of S200 billion over the next 5 to 10 years." Powell said, "because they see that kind of potential."
While President Nazarbayev is solidifying his friendship with the current President Bush - the two had contacts before when Bush was governor of Texas - he hasn't forgotten former President Bush. George Bush Sr. hosted President Nazarbayev last Tuesday in Texas. where the Kazakh President also addressed Rice University.
Kazakhstan seeks to stabilize U.S. energy supply
U.S. ally pledges not to cut production
As alternative sources for Gulf oil become critical to America's energy security, Kazakhstan is looming large as a stable source of oil for America's needs.
With over 35 billion barrels of current oil reserves, and between 100 billion and 110 billion barrels of projected oil reserves, Kazakhstan will provide a critical role "in satisfying the energy needs of the West in future years," U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said recently.
Commenting on two pipeline projects, one recently completed and the other underway, Powell said they "indicate that there will be stability with respect to supply of fuel and stability with respect to these two projects going forward. And I see nothing in the post-September 11 period that would suggest that we should rethink that."
In his visit with President .Nursultan Nazarbayev earlier this month in Kazakhstan, Powell also was told that despite some fears to the contrary, the Kazakh govern-ment is not planning to renegoti-ate existing contracts, including those in the oil and gas sector.
"We have no intention of revising the contracts signed," Nazarbayev told Powell.
Of equally important news, Kazakhstan's Minister of Economy and Trade, Zhaksybek Kulekeyev, also reconfirmed his country's position that Kazakhstan will not cut oil output in the foreseeable future, despite intense lobbying by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
"We are not going to undertake any obligations to cut output," Kulekeyev said. "On the contrary, we plan to increase production to 46 million tons [920,000 bpd], including gas condensate, next year."
Religious tolerance a way of life in Kazakhstan
Hardly a day goes by without one hearing the phrase "Muslim extremist," as if the words were inseparable. But just a few hundred miles away from Afghanistan is Kazakhstan, where one finds not only religious tolerance, but an extraordinary level of religious diversity too.
With a population 47 percent Muslim and 44 percent Russian Orthodox, Kazakhstan's remaining nine percent encompasses a wide range of religions, including Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Buddhism and a number of other traditional and non-traditional sects. Overall, there are 2,502 religious groups in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan is a secular state that promotes ethnic and religious diversity and tolerance, and freedom of religion is one of the first priorities addressed in Kazakhstan's Constitution. In practice, this has contributed to inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony among the established faiths in Kazakhstan, from ethnic Kazakhs, who are predominantly Sunni Muslim, to Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians. Roman Catholics, various Protestant denominations, and Kazakhstan's long-standing Jewish community.
In fact, Kazakhstan has had neither religious nor ethnic conflicts within its territory since independence in 1991, an exception in the region.
The 2000 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom: Kazakhstan, released by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor noted that Kazakhstan "is multiethnic, with a long tradition of tolerance and secularism. Relations among the various religious communities are generally amicable."
"The (Kazakh) Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the various denominations worship largely without government interference," the report notes.
Probably the two largest religious minorities in Kazakhstan are Roman Catholics and Jews.
The exact number of Catholics in Kazakhstan is not known, but is estimated at 300,000. Pope John Paul II visited Kazakhstan last September not only to visit the Catholics living there, but also to help promote President Nazarbayev's public efforts in embracing religious plurality in interfaith settings.
The Roman Catholic Church is also extensively engaged in charity, and cares for the sick, the lonely, the disabled and the elderly. In Almaty there is a canteen for the poor, a free pharmacy and first-aid service. This is the only medical establishment under the auspices of any religion to be registered in Kazakhstan so far.
Anti-semitism also is not prevalent in Kazakhstan.
Jewish leaders in Kazakhstan characterize their relationship with the government as positive. President Nazarbayev personally presented historical records on the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's father, who was exiled to Kazakhstan during the Soviet period, to Lubav-itch leaders in a December 1999 visit to New York. Rabbi Schneerson was the last Lubavitcher Rebbe.
This past August, the National Conference of Soviet Jewry reported that the Jewish community of Kazakhstan celebrated the fifth anniversary of the stone-laying for a future synagogue, and the remembrance day (yahrzeit) of Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Schneerson.
A new Jewish synagogue has been opened in Pavlodar, a major industrial and cultural city in northern Kazakhstan. The synagogue became the fourth new synagogue built in Kazakhstan in recent years.
* * *
Bush welcomes Kazakh president to Washington, The Washington Post, December 21, 2001, advertisement sponsored by the Eurasia 2000 Fund (Almaty, Kazakhstan)
A Century of Change in 10 Years
The vicious terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 made people around the globe understand ever more clearly that peace, democracy and security are not something given once and for all. We need to fight for them.
Today President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan visits the U.S. to meet and talk with President George Bush about further strengthening our strategic partnership in the struggle for a secure world.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 were taken as a personal tragedy by the peoples of Kazakhstan. President Nazarbayev echoed our feelings and expressed unconditional support to the U.S. in the fight against international terrorism.
Visiting Ground Zero on Dec. 19, our head of state not only paid respect to the memory of the deceased, among them a citizen of Kazakhstan, but also reconfirmed our solidarity with the American people.
The American people were one of the first to recognize our independence, which is why President Nazarbayev also visited with President George H.W. Bush and Secretary James A. Baker III, who witnessed the dawn of our partnership, before coming to Washington.
As the world's attention is focused on global war against terrorism and the armed conflict in Afghanistan, we in Kazakhstan, one of the largest nations in the neighborhood, reflect upon our experience in the first decade of independence and would like to suggest that there might be lessons in it for others.
Beyond that, Kazakhstan may serve as a driving force behind the economic development in a crucial part of the world famous for its potential for trouble.
When we regained our independence we faced daunting challenges.
Ten years is but an instant in time. Yet in our "instant", led by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, we have built a peaceful, democratic society and a thriving market economy showing progress every day.
The roots of democracy have grown deep in our soil. From a totalitarian regime ruled from beyond our borders we grew to a functioning democracy that Americans find familiar.
Once the people of Kazakhstan had no political choices. There was one party, the Communists. Today we have 14 political parties of which 4 hold seats in our national Parliament.
Unimaginable a decade ago, more than 2,000 non-governmental organizations and 1,500 independent news media outlets are taking an active part in shaping Kazakhstan's social and political agenda.
People of all of the 130 ethnic groups choose among the teachings of Islam, Christianity, Judaism and more than 40 other religious denominations. All live in our country in peace and harmony and see that as the only way to the future. The recent visit of Pope John Paul II drew the world's attention to the freedom of religious life in Kazakhstan today.
Today Kazakhstan stands shoulder to shoulder with the United States in this just war for the preservation of civilization and security of future generations.
And, as Secretary of State Colin Powell said after a meeting with executives of American companies working in Kazakhstan on December 9 in Astana, he was "particularly impressed" with "the amount of money they are looking at investing in Kazakhstan, in the range of $200 billion over the next 5 to 10 years».
Kazakhstan and the United States have a unique experience of cooperation in the fight for security in the world.
We are confident that the meeting of President Nursultan Nazarbayev and President George Bush will open a new chapter in relations between our two countries and our two peoples. Together we can make ours a better and safer world for all.
Kanat Saudabayev
Ambassador to Washington
December 16, 2001
In the President's words
On December 16, 2001, President Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed the people of Kazakhstan summing up the results of 10 years of its independence. Following are excerpts:
· Kazakhstan was the first state in the world to refuse voluntarily its nuclear weapons. It is an unprecedented contribution to global security and peace in the world.
· We have banned censorship (in the constitution) and announced freedom of expression. We have established an open, pluralistic society. None of thousands of foreign journalists who visited our country faced any obstacles in their professional activities.
· Foreign investments played a great role in our economy. From 1993 to 2000 Kazakhstan attracted direct investments worth $14.7 billion, which is almost one third of foreign investments to CIS countries and about 80 percent of those in Central Asian states.
· Everything that we are proud of today freedom, openness, liberal policy and economy was achieved in the country which had not known democracy for decades, where any free thinking had been severely suppressed and private ownership not even mentioned. Ours is one of the most multiethnic and multiconfessional countries of the world. Fate gives us a chance to benefit from this variety.
· Kazakhstan has come of age. It is developing with confidence. For all these years our Independence was a life-giving source that nourished our forces for the good of the Motherland.
Kazakhstan Through American Eyes
Congratulations to you and the people of Kazakhstan on the 10th anniversary of your independence. Kazakhstan should be proud of the successes of the last decade.
Kazakhstan plays a crucial role for the international community, as a bulwark against regional instability and conflict.
President George W. Bush in a letter to President Nazarbayev
December 16, 2001
President Bush will welcome President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Washington on Dec. 21. for talks on anti-terrorism efforts, energy issues and economic reforms, the White House said on Tuesday.
The visit reflects the deepening relationship between the United States and Kazakhstan on counterterrorism, non-proliferation, democracy, energy and pipelines, economic reform, and Kazakhstan's integration into the global economy.
White House Press Secretary
December 11, 2001
I was pleased that the president indicated a willingness to participate fully in humanitarian efforts, as well as in the reconstruction phase with the use of Kazakhstan's facilities, infrastructure, bases, and especially technical people from Kazakhstan who could help the Afghans build their new country Based on the discussions we have had this morning and also the discussions I had with the American Chamber of Commerce earlier this morning, I come away even more persuaded of the critical importance that Kazakhstan will play in satisfying the energy needs of the West in future years.
Secretary of State Colin Powell speaking to the press in Astana
December 9, 2001
I want to congratulate the people of the Republic of Kazakhstan who celebrated their tenth year of independence as a nation. This important occasion highlights Kazakhstan's economic, political, and cultural growth over the past decade. In light of the many difficulties facing the people of Kazakhstan following the collapse of the Soviet Union, this resourceful nation of over fourteen million people has persevered by overcoming numerous obstacles to emerge as one of Central Asia's most dynamic nations.
As the people of Kazakhstan continue the process of building their nation on the foundation of democracy and economic liberalization, they should know that the United States will be there to assist them in their efforts. Following the barbaric attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, the government of Kazakhstan immediately offered its unconditional assistance to the United States in our fight against the international scourge of terrorism.
Their heartfelt support for the American people in our greatest time of need has only served to strengthen United States-Kazakhstan relations. The future success of a democratic and free Republic of Kazakhstan will directly benefit the United States by helping to create stability and increased prosperity in the Central Asian region.
Congressman Robert Wexler, House of Representatives
November 1, 2001
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Kazakhstan's Antinuclear Role
By Graham Allison, The Boston Globe, January 6, 2002.
WHEN KAZAKHSTAN is mentioned, most people think of one thing: oil. As the principal source of Caspian energy, Kazakhstan supplies world markets directly through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.
Opened in September, this pipeline has a capacity of 1 million barrels a day. Furthermore, Kashagan field has been acclaimed as the most significant new discovery of reserves in the past quarter-century.
When President Bush met with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev at the White House in December, they discussed Kazakhstan's new role in world energy and the campaign against terrorism. The meeting resulted in a joint statement that affirmed their strategic partnership and a US intention to help Kazakhstan integrate more fully into the global economy.
While this meeting addressed important goals, it should also have underlined the significant role Kazakhstan has played in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Nazarbayev now has an opportunity to extend that legacy by leading the negotiations for the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty.
In his recent book, ''Epicenter of Peace,'' Nazarbayev affirms Kazakhstan's pride in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The Semipalatinsk Soviet nuclear testing facility in northeastern Kazakhstan saw more above-ground and underground nuclear tests than any other site on earth. As a result, more than 300,000 people in the region suffer serious health effects from exposure to radiation.
Acutely aware of these consequences, Nazarbayev was the first president among newly independent former Soviet states to call for the elimination of nuclear weapons and the creation of a nuclear-free zone in the Central Asian region.
In theory, Kazakhstan could have emerged as one of the world's nuclear superpowers. Had it taken control of the more than 1,400 nuclear warheads left on its territory when the Soviet Union disappeared, it would commanded an arsenal larger than those of the United Kingdom, France, and China combined. Most of these warheads stood atop missiles aimed at targets in the United States.
Instead, Kazakhstan volunteered to return all nuclear weapons to Russia, signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and entered the world as a nonnuclear state. There are no nuclear weapons in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan is now in an ideal position to exercise leadership in the campaign to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Nazarbayev has long been a vigorous supporter of the creation of a nuclear weapons-free zone in Central Asia. On Feb. 27, 1997, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan signed the Almaty Declaration, which proclaimed their intention to make Central Asia a territory free of nuclear arms.
Unfortunately, this campaign has encountered difficulties over the last several years, especially because of the 1992 Tashkent Treaty, a collective security agreement originally designed for the states of the former Soviet Union. Russia is the only signatory that believes that this treaty would allow it to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons to Central Asia in order to deal with threats emanating from the region.
Over the last few years, Central Asian members of the Tashkent Treaty expressed their desire to restrict the provisions of the agreement in order to allow for the complete denuclearization of the region. Russia, however, has voiced objections.
As the Central Asian leader with the most accomplished record on nonproliferation issues, Nazarbayev must take the lead to overcome Russia's objections to the Central Asian Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone. Bush could give him a hand. The advantages of creating a stable region free of nuclear threat far outweigh whatever tactical advantages might be gained from a redeployment of nuclear weapons in Central Asia. As the recent campaign in Afghanistan has demonstrated, nuclear weapons have no useful role in the region.
During Nazarbayev's visit to Washington, the United States and Kazakhstan made significant progress by reaffirming their shared commitment to fighting terrorism and guaranteeing international energy supplies. Building upon that foundation, the two presidents should now instruct their governments to overcome remaining obstacles to assure that the nexus between Russia, China, Iran, and Afghanistan remains free of nuclear weapons.
Graham Allison is director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard
University's Kennedy School.
This story ran on page E7 of the Boston Globe on 1/6/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.
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Bush, Kazakh Declare Longterm Strategic Partnership
By Elaine Monaghan
Friday December 21
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Kazakhstan signed a pact on Friday underlining their interest in multiple east-west oil export routes and creating a more concrete way to help the ex-Soviet state develop its reserves.
A highlight of a visit by President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Washington, the pact was a reminder of how relations have been strengthened by his support for the U.S. war in Afghanistan, where instability has long troubled the most economically successful of the former Soviet Central Asian states.
Nazarbayev and President Bush met and issued a statement declaring a commitment to strengthening what they called a long-term, strategic partnership aimed at bringing Kazakhstan increasingly into the global economy.
Foreign Minister Yerland Idrisov and Secretary of State Colin Powell also signed an energy partnership declaration that the State Department said ``reaffirms U.S. support for multiple export routes of oil, particularly along the proposed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline''.
It added, ``It also strengthens cooperation on energy security and enhanced protection of production and transport facilities and promotes further cooperation on electrical power, nuclear energy and environmental protection.''
Idrisov told Reuters the two presidents exchanged letters in which Bush pledged to work to lift sanctions against Kazakhstan which stem from the 1974 Jackson-Vanik amendment that linked trade ties to Soviet-era restrictions on Jewish emigration. In reply, Nazarbayev vowed to continue economic reforms.
Washington has long sought Kazakh support in keeping track of nuclear materials and tightening border controls in the region to prevent the spread of the hardline brand of beliefs that gripped Afghanistan and threaten less stable former Soviet states sandwiched between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan.
The Sept. 11 attacks on the United States that killed about 3,300 people accelerated contacts with many countries including Kazakhstan, visited by Powell earlier this month.
Nazarbayev would like his country to play as prominent a role as possible in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and in humanitarian efforts aimed at feeding its people.
Idrisov said Kazakhstan was also willing to contribute peacekeepers to an international force for Afghanistan.
OIL THE STRONGEST PULL
But the Kazakh resource most likely to bind the two countries in a long-term embrace is oil, which Nazarbayev says could lead to exports of 150 million tonnes from 2015.
The two countries share an interest in opening multiple export routes for the oil, though they differ over one potential route that would be cheaper but would take it through Iran, regarded in Washington as a ``rogue state'' for its support of groups opposed to the Middle East peace process.
Idrisov said Kazakhstan continued to support both the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's pipeline to the Black Sea, opened this month, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route.
But he added, ``Iran is not excluded completely.''
A senior State Department official told reporters the energy agreement provided a framework for the United States to help ``ensure the Kazakhs are able to develop their energy supplies, develop their energy policy.''
``It's a declaration of the ways the governments can cooperate and the fact the governments are cooperating gives a framework for companies to go forward a lot more easily,'' he added.
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Bush welcomes Kazakhstan leader, by Kathy A. Gambrell, UPI White House Reporter, December 21, 2001
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush on Friday welcomed Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev to the White House for talks on the ongoing U.S.-led campaign against terrorism and the former Soviet republic's role in rebuilding Afghanistan.
"We reiterate our intent to cooperate in the war against terrorism to its conclusion and within the framework of the international coalition," the two leaders said in a joint statement issued after the meeting.
"We underscore our support for a broad-based Afghan government at peace internally and with its neighbors. We also pledge our readiness to cooperate in Afghanistan's reconstruction," the two leaders said.
Kazakhstan was one of six former Soviet republics upon which the United States called for aid as it led an international coalition against Afghanistan in responding to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks which killed about 3,000 people in New York City and Washington. Kazakhstan offered the use of its air bases and agreed to host American forces there during the military action.
In the meeting with lasted less than one hour, Bush and Nazarbayev discussed weapons of mass destruction, and trade including export options for Kazakhstan's oil and gas supplies. The United States was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan a decade ago, and since then the two countries have developed a wide-ranging bilateral relationship. American companies have invested more than $5 billion in Kazakhstan since 1993 with bilateral trade worth $488 million in 2000.
"We will strive to further develop an attractive, transparent and predictable investment climate. Achieving this goal requires removal of legislative and administrative barriers to investment, strengthening respect for contracts and the rule of law, reducing corruption, and enhancing Kazakhstan's strong record on economic reform," the statement said. The U.S. also voiced its intention to cooperate with Kazakhstan's integration in the global economy by supporting Kazakhstan's accession to the World Trade Organization
The two leaders also said that the United States would consider enhancing Kazakhstan's assistance programs to strengthen border security and increase defensive capabilities of its military.
On weapons of mass destruction, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The United States has been concerned that Saudi exile Osama bin Laden has been attempting to acquire biological, chemical or nuclear weapons and has called on the international community to assist in halting his Islamic extremist group from obtaining the materials and knowledge needed to achieve their goal.
"Both sides agree on the need for urgent attention to improving the physical protection and accounting of all nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons materials in all possessor states, and to preventing illicit trafficking in these materials," the joint statement said.
The U.S. spent $78 million on facilities under the Cooperative Threat Reduction program to assist Kazakhstan in eliminating START-related systems such as intercontinental ballistic missile silo launchers, strategic heavy bombers, and liquid rocket fuel storage. They pledged to expand their cooperation on nonproliferation under that pact.
* * *
The Houston Chronicle
December 18, 2001
Kazakhstan:
Reasons aplenty for Houstonians to be paying attention
Nursultan Nazarbayev, president of the Republic of Kazakhstan, is in Houston this week and will make an address at the Baker Institute at Rice University.
The occasion is that nation's 10th anniversary, on Dec. 16, of its independence from the former Soviet Union. The further occasion is an opportunity for Houstonians to raise their consciousness about Central Asia, a critical part of the world in which a good number of Houstonians are doing business these days and in which many of the same tensions that led to events now unfolding in nearby Afghanistan also are at work.
Kazakhstan is literally at a crossroads where East meets West, where religious ideas meet and clash and where high stakes in the future of the energy industry are being played for.
Kazakhstan, with rich and underdeveloped oil and gas resources, is on its way to becoming one of the world's major energy sources.
"American businesses, the lion's share of which are Houston-based, with an investment of more than $5 billion, are the largest investor in our future," says Kazakh Ambassador Kanat Saudabayev in a letter to the Chronicle sent in advance of the president's visit.
Beyond important economic ties, the ambassador suggests that, in the midst of the global war on terrorism, these might be some leesons for others in his country's first decade of independence.
Indeed, today there 14 political parties and 1,500 independent news media outlets taking part in the communal life of a multiethnic nation of almost 17 million that includes 130 ethnic groups and more than 40 religious sects.
"Kazakhstan can be a major contributor to peaceful economic development of the region," says Ambassador Kanat.
True enough, and important enough.
That's not to say the nation is without its problems, however, and for those uninterested in them, it's the same lack of interest that most of us had about Afghanistan not so long ago.
