President Donald Trump meets with President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the Oval Office before a dinner with other C5 Central Asian leaders, Thursday, November 6, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

Why the Last Year in US-Kazakhstan Relations Was the Best Yet

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After 35 years of independence, Kazakhstan’s relations with the United States are gathering unprecedented momentum. What factors shaped this development?

Editor’s Note: On October 29, Center for the National Interest Senior Fellow Andrew Kuchins interviewed the ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Magzhan Ilyassov, to discuss the past, present, and future of US-Kazakhstan ties, the outcome of the recent C5 1 Summit, Astana’s multivector foreign policy, and Kazakhstan’s Afghan strategy. The following conversation has been edited for style and clarity.

Andrew Kuchins (AK): Mr. Ambassador, you arrived in Washington about a year ago, and I do not think I am exaggerating to say that this past year has been the most fruitful in the 35 years of US-Kazakh relations. What do you see as the key highlights, and to what do you ascribe this remarkable flourishing of relations?

Magzhan Ilyassov (MI): First of all, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. It is a great honor and responsibility to represent Kazakhstan in the United States at such an important moment in our bilateral relationship.

It has been exactly one year since I arrived in Washington, DC, and I could hardly have imagined a more eventful start to my assignment. Almost immediately, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev came to Washington, DC, for the C5 1 Summit and met with President Donald Trump. During the visit alone, Kazakhstan and the United States announced commercial agreements worth more than $17 billion—a clear indication that our political dialogue is producing tangible economic results.

Today, we are witnessing highly dynamic and positive momentum in our partnership with the United States. Our countries maintain a regular and substantive political dialogue, including contacts at the highest levels. In recent months alone, President Tokayev visited Washington, DC twice (in November 2025 and February 2026), underscoring the high degree of mutual trust and shared commitment to further advancing bilateral cooperation. 

At the same time, our cooperation is increasingly extending beyond the traditional bilateral agenda. Kazakhstan’s decision to join the Abraham Accords reflects our longstanding commitment to dialogue and peaceful coexistence, while our participation in the Board of Peace demonstrates our readiness to contribute constructively to international efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability.

This year also carries special symbolic significance, as Kazakhstan and the United States celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Over these decades, our countries have built a strong and trusted partnership. The United States was among the first countries to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence and today remains the second-largest investor in our economy.

The economic foundation of this relationship is substantial. US investments in the region mostly come to Kazakhstan, with cumulative investments exceeding $60 billion, while over 600 American companies operate in our market. For decades, American companies have played a vital role in the development of Kazakhstan’s energy sector, industry, high technology, and infrastructure. 

So, to your question about what explains this remarkable momentum, I would point to several factors. 

First, there is strong political will at the highest level on both sides. There is also a strong personal connection between President Tokayev and President Trump. The two leaders understand each other well and share a pragmatic approach focused on concrete results. I believe this has played an important role in building trust and driving the relationship forward.

Second, our strategic and economic interests are increasingly converging. The United States is looking for reliable partners, diversified supply chains, access to critical minerals, new trade and investment opportunities, and stronger connectivity across Eurasia. Kazakhstan, for its part, is seeking investment, advanced technologies, access to global markets, and deeper economic diversification. There is a very natural complementarity between these priorities.

And third, I think Washington increasingly recognizes Kazakhstan and Central Asia for what they are today: not simply a region between major powers, but a region with its own strategic priorities, economic potential, resources, connectivity, and growing geopolitical importance.

AK: Just recently, the foreign ministerial meeting of the C5 1 took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. What are the biggest takeaways from these meetings for Kazakhstan?

MI: The C5 1 itself is a particularly important success story for Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan played an important role in the creation of the format, having first proposed the idea of a dedicated dialogue between the five Central Asian states and the United States. Since its launch, C5 1 has evolved over the past decade from a diplomatic dialogue into an increasingly practical platform for regional cooperation with the United States.

This momentum is visible on the ground as well. Astana hosted the first-ever C5 1 Critical Minerals Dialogue and the C5 1 SI Conference. We have welcomed US congressional delegations and a US trade mission to Kazakhstan, while contacts between our governments and business communities have intensified significantly.

And the........

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