[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5703]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE UNITED STATES AND KAZAKHSTAN

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 2015

  Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the importance 
of the relationship between Kazakhstan and the United States. I 
recently had the honor of meeting with Prime Minister of Kazakhstan 
Karim Massimov to discuss Kazakhstan and its contributions to the 
international community when the Prime Minister visited Washington to 
attend IMF and World Bank meetings.
  The Republic of Kazakhstan is an important partner to the United 
States in Central Asia in many ways and is key to our interests in that 
region and globally. Led by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan 
is a reliable partner on the world stage in the areas of energy and 
regional security, economic development and trade and political and 
regional stability.
  With a population of 18 million people and a size nearly four times 
that of Texas, Kazakhstan sits at the heart of Central Asia. The 
country is bordered by Russia and China and is strategically located 
near Turkey, Iran, India and Eastern Europe. Kazakhstan was the first 
post-soviet State to lead the 56-country Organization for Cooperation 
and Security in Europe (OSCE) in 2010. As a Member of the U.S. 
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and a Vice-
President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, I have seen 
Kazakhstan's engagement and commitment firsthand.
  Kazakhstan has been a global leader in nuclear non-proliferation for 
20 years--an achievement reached soon after its independence in 1991. 
In 1993, it was the first nation to dismantle its nuclear weapons and 
secure its nuclear materials under the Nunn-Lugar nuclear 
nonproliferation program, led by former Senators Sam Nunn (D-GA) and 
Richard Lugar (R-IN). Since then, it has remained a global leader and 
U.S. partner in non-proliferation efforts.
  Kazakhstan is also an essential partner in assisting the United 
States in counter terrorism efforts by serving as a supply route and 
operational partner and supporting the reintegration of Afghanistan 
into Central Asia, committing millions of dollars. It plays a unique 
role in fostering and solidifying positive diplomatic relations with 
regional powers and maintaining economic stability.
  The United States and Kazakhstan, among others, strongly support the 
Modern Day Silk Road initiative, which would revitalize the 2000-year-
old Silk Road trading route that connected South and Central Asia to 
the Mediterranean. The New Silk Road would serve as a critical 
transportation, communications, trade, energy and cultural bridge 
between East and West, linking China and India with Europe and 
supporting the stability of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kazakhstan is 
central to its development.
  Domestically, Kazakhstan remains the melting pot of Central Asia, 
given its Kazakh, Russian, Turkish, Mongolian and many other cultural 
influences. Religious freedom and ethnic tolerance are key principles 
in its governance, with its diverse mix of people and traditions. In 
January 2015, Kazakhstan signed an agreement with the Organization for 
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to initiate new national 
reforms for government ministries, the justice system, infrastructure 
development and green economy initiatives, political reform and human 
rights and democratic principles through transparency and 
accountability.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that continuing to increase our relationship 
with the good people of Kazakhstan is important to our common 
interests, and I encourage my fellow members to participate in 
opportunities to travel to the region in order to become better 
acquainted with the progress that has been made in the country, and to 
encourage the continued political cooperation while taking advantage of 
the progress in opening the market to encourage joint investment.

                          ____________________