Mere days before Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Kazakhstan, a U.S. official passed through first, once again demonstrating the breadth of Kazakhstan’s partnerships and the increased rate of diplomatic passage through Central Asia these days. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu is traveling to Kazakhstan, … Read more
From left: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, U.S. President Joe Biden, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan attend the C5+1 presidential summit in New York, U.S., Sep. 19, 2023. Credit: Official White House photo Advertisement U.S. President Joe Biden met … Read more
Advertisement Central Asia is seldom a top priority for U.S. foreign policy. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the United States was one of the first countries to recognize the five newly independent states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. For most of the 21st century, however, Central Asia largely served as a … Read more
Advertisement U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced legislation on September 7 to repeal the Jackson-Vanik amendment for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan and grant the three Central Asian states permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status. If passed successfully, the U.S. Congress will have alleviated a notable point of irritation for the states … Read more
Advertisement In the last year, there’s been a steady stream of U.S. officials filtering through Central Asia. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu stopped in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in April, followed that same month by Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Elizabeth Rosenberg from the Treasury Department, and … Read more