[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19634]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         WELCOME TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHRIS CANNON

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 25, 2006

  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 
His Excellency Nursultan Nazarbayev, will arrive on an official visit 
to the United States on September 27, 2006, and it is my honor to 
welcome this distinguished leader to Washington.
  After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, President Nazarbayev 
inherited a weak economy and the world's fourth largest nuclear 
arsenal. While Kazakhstan could have become an immediate nuclear 
superpower and resolved its economic concerns through military might, 
President Nazarbayev instead chose a path that included economic and 
democratic reforms, and Kazakhstan is now one of the most stable and 
prosperous nations in Central Asia.
  For the past six years, Kazakhstan has enjoyed a 10 percent annual 
growth in its GDP. Kazakhstan also became the first country in the 
Commonwealth of Independent States to be granted market economy status 
by the United States. Today, more than 300 US companies account for the 
largest share of Foreign Direct Investment in Kazakhstan.
  By 2015, Kazakhstan is expected to be one of the top ten oil 
producers and exporters in the world, with reserves comparable to 
Kuwait's. Now more than ever we need a reliable energy partner which 
has proven to be a friend and ally of the United States. It is 
appropriate now for the United States to deepen our strategic 
partnership with Kazakhstan.
  President Nazarbayev's visit is timely. During the course of his 
visit, it is my hope that we will use this opportunity to set a long-
term agenda for closer cooperation with Kazakhstan.
  This year, Kazakhstan will celebrate its 15th anniversary of 
independence, and I join my colleagues in congratulating the people and 
government on this important occasion. Kazakhstan's path to democracy 
and independence has not been easy, but its progress is impressive.
  I commend President Nazarbayev for his leadership and friendship with 
the United States, and I remain committed to furthering our 
partnership.

                          ____________________