[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
[December 21, 2001]
[Pages 1541-1542]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1541]]


Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and President Nursultan 
Nazarbayev on the New Kazakhstan-
American Relationship
December 21, 2001

    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.

[[Page 1542]]

    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.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.