On February 10, 2021 on-line conference “30-th Anniversary of US-Kazakh Diplomatic Relations” was organized by Central Asia Program, Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies of the George Washington University. About 30 American veterans of diplomatic service and experts on the post-Soviet space, including a number of former US Ambassadors in Kazakhstan took part in the event. The participants were greeted by the Kazakh Ambassador in Washington, DC Erjan Kazykhanov, who offered assessment of stages of development of diplomatic relations between the two states. American diplomats J.Herbst, J.Ordway, A.Weber and others recalled their experiences while working in our Republic and positively assessed both the potential for extended strategic partnership between the RK and the USA in different spheres and 30 years of Nur-Sultan’s  contribution to strengthening international and regional security and stability.

Deputy Chair of the Board of the Foreign Policy Research Institute Bolat Nurgaliyev, who has been working  with American issues since early 90-s in his capacity of Deputy Foreign Minister and the RK Ambassador in the US, made a presentation on impact of Kazakhstan’s nuclear arsenal inherited from the former Soviet Union on shaping initial US interest in establishing mutual understanding with the RK, on transformation of bilateral ties into relations of expanded strategic partnership, as well as role of energy factor in development of fruitful economic cooperation. The Kazakh expert answered questions of American participants of the webinar about potential directions of bilateral interaction.

The conference was the first among events planned for the current year to mark the anniversary of the Kazakh-American diplomatic relations.