Gulshara Abdykalikova congratulated George Albert Krol on his appointment as the Ambassador of the United States to Kazakhstan and expressed her confidence that his work will promote further deepening of comprehensive and fruitful dialogue between the two countries.
The Secretary of State noted that Kazakhstan has started implementing the five institutional reforms, initiated by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, along with the Plan of the Nation titled “100 Concrete Steps to Implement Five Institutional Reforms”. These instruments are aimed at ensuring the country’s modernisation and stable economic growth, as well as achieving the goals of the “Kazakhstan - 2050” Strategy and joining to the 30 most developed countries of the world.
During the meeting the sides exchanged their opinions on the most topical issues of social and humanitarian development, counteraction to terrorism and extremism, as well as promotion of multiethnic, multireligious and tolerant society.
The parties also expressed their interest in further strengthening of cooperation in the field of education and science that is based on the Agreement on scientific and technical cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United States which was signed during the visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to the United States in 2010.
At present the universities of Kazakhstan cooperate with more than 30 US educational and scientific centers. In this regard, JSC “Nazarbayev University” plays an important role and has established efficient contacts with a number of the US universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University, University of Pittsburgh and Harvard University. More than 1840 students from Kazakhstan got their degrees in the United States through the Bolashak International Scholarship Programme.
Kazakhstan and the United States make active joint efforts in such areas as security and regional cooperation, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, deepening of interaction in trade, economy and investment, Kazakhstan’s accession to the World Trade Organisation, EXPO 2017, scientific and technical cooperation in the defence sector and interaction between the law enforcement bodies of the two countries.
In 2014, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and the United States accounted for $ 2.4 billion. The total volume of the US investment into the economy of Kazakhstan exceeded $ 21 billion. At that, more than 470 joint enterprises operate in Kazakhstan.
In conclusion, Gulshara Abdykalikova and George Albert Krol noted the high level of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United States, saying it fully complies with the spirit of strategic partnership between the two states.