Trump Administration - The Times Of Central Asia

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U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Highlights Cultural Diplomacy, AI, and Strategic Partnerships

At a wide-ranging press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Astana, the recently appointed U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Julie M. Stufft, underscored the deepening ties between the United States and Kazakhstan, highlighting cooperation in cultural diplomacy, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals. “I arrived in Astana a month ago, and while the weather has been a little cold, the welcome has been very warm. It has been exciting to meet the embassy team, our colleagues in government and civil society, and the people of Kazakhstan. I am very excited to be here and already feel at home. U.S.-Kazakhstan relations are the strongest they have been in the history of our two countries,” Ambassador Stufft said. She pointed to the convergence of political, commercial, and cultural factors that make the partnership distinctive, noting that bilateral ties have evolved beyond their initial commercial foundation. Thirty-five years ago, U.S. companies began investing in Kazakhstan, she said; today, cooperation spans security, cultural exchange, and economic collaboration. A key priority for the ambassador is expanding people-to-people exchanges. “Since Kazakhstan’s independence, 22,000 Kazakh students and professionals have participated in U.S. exchange programs,” she said, adding that 3,000 Kazakh students studied in the United States last year. “We need more Americans here, and we need more Kazakhs in the United States. These ties go far beyond political diplomacy.” Ambassador Stufft also identified artificial intelligence as a major growth sector. “Already, $3.7 billion in deals with U.S. AI companies have been concluded in Kazakhstan,” she said. “This is the year of AI development in Kazakhstan. The youth here are exceptionally creative and talented. AI represents a significant area for growth.” Critical minerals featured prominently in the discussion. The ambassador described Kazakhstan as a major holder of rare-earth resources and stressed the importance of establishing reliable, transparent supply chains. “Kazakhstan is cooperating with at least 53 other countries to ensure a world market that is fair and accessible,” she said, referring to a recent ministerial meeting in Washington at which Kazakhstan’sForeign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev delivered a keynote address. [caption id="attachment_43949" align="aligncenter" width="794"] U.S. Ambassador Julie Stufft presents her credentials to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan; image: Akorda[/caption] Addressing commercial ties, Ambassador Stufft discussed efforts to facilitate investment and mining projects, including a joint venture between U.S.-based Cove Capital and the national mining company Tau-Ken Samruk in the Karaganda region. She emphasized that such agreements are commercially driven and not politically imposed. “This is a commercial deal, and it opens the door to a new chapter in our cooperation,” she said. The press conference also touched on broader geopolitical issues. Asked about Kazakhstan’s strategic partnerships with Russia and China, Ambassador Stufft said the United States respects Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy while seeking to remain a partner of choice. On U.S. visa policy, she clarified that temporary pauses on certain immigrant visa categories were procedural and do not affect the majority of Kazakh applicants. “Hundreds of thousands of visas are issued every week,” she said, pointing to the continued growth of educational...

TRIPP and the Middle Corridor After Vance

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s Armenia and Azerbaijan tour is being sold as a “peace dividend” for the South Caucasus, but for Central Asia, the significance is the infrastructure potential of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). Vance’s trip is another move in positioning the new Caucasus transit route for the Middle Corridor. His visit necessarily focuses on the Armenia–Azerbaijan fix, but recent diplomatic context makes clear that it is at least equally a Central Asia to Europe proposition. Current constraints on Trans-Caspian connectivity have been the shortage of dependable shipping capacity across the Caspian, port access, and border processing times. As the European Commission pointed out last week, traffic has surged since 2022, but the next jump depends on targeted investment and practical fixes along the route. The Middle Corridor’s Central Asian Axis through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Kazakhstan’s recent moves treat the bottlenecks as practical engineering and scheduling problems. The dredging project at Kuryk aims to deepen the port approach channel to five meters to support year-round navigation. Work is scheduled for early 2026 and backed by ERSAI Caspian Contractor LLC, a joint venture between Saipem and the Kazakhstan-based business group ERC Holdings. ERSAI is a major industrial port and fabrication yard operator specializing in offshore construction, logistics, and port services in the Caspian Sea. The dredging project is tied to broader terminal and shipyard expansion designed to create a key industrial hub. Shipping capacity is the other half of that story. A plan reported late last year envisages six ferries on the Kuryk–Alat line, with the first two entering service in the first half of 2026 and additional vessels added through 2028. Even if timelines slip, the point is to create a predictable schedule. Uzbekistan’s connectivity push has been running on two tracks at once: east to west via the Caspian, and southward toward ports beyond Central Asia. In Washington, a delegation from Tashkent, led by Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, a week ago signed a memorandum with the United States on critical minerals and rare earths. This move treats extraction and processing as a supply-chain partnership rather than a one-off investment pitch. At the same time, Uzbekistan has been pushing rule-making with corridor partners, not waiting for outsiders to do it. On February 10, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia signed a protocol covering digitalization and freight development along the Middle Corridor, including shared methods for tracking delays and pinch points. This is in line with the necessary streamlining of paperwork. TRIPP as the South Caucasus Link for Central Asia TRIPP is meant to make the Caucasus segment less fragile by adding a second path, other than the recently renovated and expanded Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway route. The U.S-backing and institutional presence are meant to create confidence and reliability. Armenia’s own published implementation framework describes a TRIPP Development Company with an initial 49-year development term and a proposed 74% U.S. share, while stating that Armenian sovereignty, law enforcement, customs, and taxation authority remain intact. This satisfies domestic Armenian...

Trump Administration

U.S. to Host “Board of Peace” Meeting on February 19

The United States plans to host a meeting this month of the “Board of Peace” that President Donald Trump set up. The attendance list is still in the works, and there is no word yet on whether the leaders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which are among more than two-dozen member countries, will attend the gathering in Washington on February 19. Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev traveled to Davos, Switzerland, last month to join Trump for the signing ceremony of the board, which supporters say is aimed at resolving Gaza and other conflicts around the world. There are concerns, however, that the international mechanism could undermine the United Nations, and critics question the sweeping power that Trump holds over the board, as chairman with veto power and no term limits. The White House plans to hold the meeting in Washington, D.C. to support implementation of the Gaza cease-fire deal and raise funds for reconstruction of the territory, the Axios news outlet has reported. It said planning is in the early stages and could change. Axios attributed the information to a U.S. official and diplomats from several countries that are on the board. Other media organizations also reported on the planned meeting this month. President Javier Milei of Argentina will attend the meeting, according to the Argentine government. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is also expected to attend. The involvement of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the Board of Peace reflects their goals of playing a more robust role on the international stage as well as the expanding relationship, particularly centered around trade and investment, between the United States and Central Asia. Azerbaijan is also among the countries that signed up to join the Board of Peace. Some traditional U.S. allies, including in Europe, have not joined the U.S.-led organization, partly because of concerns over the board structure. Additionally, their relations with Washington have frayed over tariffs, U.S. plans to take over Greenland, and other issues.

Tokayev Praises Trump’s ‘Common-Sense’ Governance, Backs U.S.-Led Peace Initiatives

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has offered rare and explicit praise for the domestic and foreign policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, describing him as a strong leader whose governance model prioritizes national interests, law and order, and pragmatic diplomacy. In an exclusive interview with The News International during his visit to Islamabad, President Tokayev described President Trump’s leadership as “forward-looking,” pointing to what he characterized as strong economic performance and ongoing transformative reforms in the social sphere in the United States. “President Trump is a strong and forward-looking leader who puts the national interests of his country first,” Tokayev said, pointing to what he described as strong economic performance and transformative reforms in the social sphere. He added that Trump’s emphasis on law and order resonated with Kazakhstan’s own governance philosophy, which prioritizes compliance with the law and respect for state institutions. Tokayev said that in an increasingly complex global environment, governments must ensure internal stability by enforcing the rule of law. “All citizens must comply with the law and respect law-enforcement agencies while avoiding any obstruction,” he noted, drawing a direct parallel between Washington’s and Astana’s domestic policy approaches. Support for the Abraham Accords The Kazakh president also defended his country’s decision to join the Abraham Accords, an initiative launched during Trump’s presidency to normalize relations between Israel and several Muslim-majority countries. Describing the accords as “a truly forward-looking initiative,” Tokayev said Kazakhstan’s participation reflects its long-standing commitment to peace, stability, and international dialogue. He stressed that diplomacy remains the most effective instrument for resolving conflicts and fostering long-term regional and global stability. While reaffirming Kazakhstan’s strong relations with Israel, Tokayev underscored that Astana continues to support the Palestinian people and advocates a two-state solution. From a national interest perspective, he said, joining the Abraham Accords creates opportunities to attract foreign investment, advanced technologies, and concrete economic benefits. He also expressed hope that Kazakhstan’s accession would help broaden Arab–Jewish rapprochement into a wider Muslim–Judaic dialogue. Board of Peace and the UN Framework Addressing criticism surrounding the newly established Board of Peace, which he co-founded with Pakistan’s prime minister, amongst others, Tokayev rejected claims that the initiative seeks to undermine the United Nations. He said President Trump had personally emphasized that the Board of Peace is designed to complement, not replace, the United Nations, which he acknowledged is currently facing institutional strain. Tokayev highlighted that the initiative implements United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, reinforcing the principle that peace efforts must combine international legitimacy with effective leadership. According to Tokayev, the Board of Peace aims to deliver swift and practical outcomes through flexible mechanisms for conflict resolution, positioning it as a pragmatic addition to existing global peace architectures. Gaza and the Limits of Diplomacy On the prospects for peace in Gaza, Tokayev offered cautious realism. He said proposals put forward by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner appeared ambitious, structured, and grounded in development-oriented thinking. However, he warned that no plan can succeed without genuine political...

Rubio Hosts Critical Minerals Meeting; Central Asia Is Key to U.S. Vision

The United States welcomed delegations from dozens of countries to a meeting in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday that was aimed at strengthening and diversifying supply chains for critical minerals. With large reserves of these minerals, Central Asia is emerging as a key player in U.S. plans to secure components deemed necessary for advances in technology, economic development, and national security. "I don’t need to explain to anybody here that critical minerals are vital to the devices that we use every single day,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in his opening remarks at the minister-level conference. “They power our infrastructure, our industry, and our national defense… Our goal is to have a global market that's secure, a global supply that's enduring and is available to everyone, every nation, at an affordable price.” U.S. Vice President JD Vance also spoke at the event, saying the United States wants to form a trading bloc among allies and partners that expands production of critical minerals in an environment of stable prices and supply chains immune from disruption. “By regulating imports to preserve free and fair competition within the preferential trading zone, we will elevate our nation’s miners and refiners, our investors and producers alike,” Vance said. “We are all on the same team, and we need to create the economic incentives that reward people for investing and building in our countries.” The United States is seeking to counter China’s dominance of the critical minerals market. China is a key trading partner for Central Asia, whose countries aim to diversify their relationships among the major powers. Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev of Kazakhstan was among those slated to attend the critical minerals conference in the United States. The visit follows intensifying discussions involving the United States and Central Asian countries on how to develop trade and investment. On Wednesday, business leaders and government officials from Central Asia and the United States gathered in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, for the start of the second B5+1 Business Forum.

B5+1 Forum Opens as U.S. Companies Expand Economic Footprint in Central Asia

Business leaders and government officials from Central Asia and the United States gathered in Kyrgyzstan’s capital on February 4 for the start of the second B5+1 Business Forum. Co-organized by the Kyrgyz government and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), the event is intended to bring together private companies, business associations, officials, and experts interested in expanding U.S.–Central Asia commercial ties. More than 50 U.S. companies are participating in the event. The B5+1 is the business-track counterpart to the C5+1 diplomatic format that links the United States with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The B5+1 brings companies and policymakers together to identify barriers to investment and propose cross-border regulatory changes. This week’s meeting in Bishkek follows the inaugural B5+1 forum held in Almaty on March 14–15, 2024, which drew more than 250 stakeholders from across Central Asia and the United States. It produced 21 private-sector recommendations aimed at easing trade, improving regulations, and building regional economic integration. The Bishkek agenda is built around reviewing progress on those recommendations and setting priorities for the next phase of work. Central Asian officials have used the event to signal interest in region-wide coordination rather than country-by-country deals. In comments made in Bishkek, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Construction, Ersaiyn Nagaspaev, emphasized that foreign investors increasingly assess Central Asia as a single market, reflecting a push to align regulations and investment conditions across borders. Nagaspaev noted that more than 600 U.S. companies currently operate in Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, used the forum to highlight domestic economic performance within that regional context. In a speech at the forum, Kyrgyzstan’s First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Daniyar Amangeldiev, said Kyrgyzstan’s economy grew by 11.1% in 2025, which he described as one of the highest growth rates in the region. Addressing the forum, U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor stated that the United States intends to expand its economic engagement with Central Asia. “The private sector, not intergovernmental agreements, will become the key instrument of interaction," he told those in attendance, identifying electronic commerce, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, agriculture, and transport infrastructure as priority areas. Gor noted that the American companies present at the forum represent the largest and most comprehensive U.S. commercial delegation ever to visit Central Asia. The U.S. recognizes the importance of Central Asia in global trade and connectivity, he stated. "The United States is open for business. We're open for peace. We're opening to strengthen our ties around the world. So that’s why it's fitting that the first C5 event in 2026 is this B5 + 1 forum,” Gor said, linking the Bishkek discussions to economic commitments made at the C5+1 summit in Washington in November 2025. “The Transport Corridor for Peace and Prosperity will provide reliable connectivity from Central Asia through the South Caucasus to global markets,” Gor said. “This is a historic opportunity to strengthen economic integration and long-term prosperity across the region.” During his visit to Bishkek, Gor also met with Kyrgyz President...