Boosting U.S. Trade and Investment in Central Asia Discussed in Washington, DC, DKnews.kz reports.
A roundtable discussion on “Boosting U.S. Trade and Investment in Central Asia” took place on Capitol Hill. The event was organized by the non-governmental organizations International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC) and Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), with the participation of representatives from American business, expert communities, and the U.S. Congress.
The round table was attended by Co-Chairman of the Kazakh-American Caucus in the House of Representatives, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D, California) and Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Helsinki Commission of the U.S. Congress Joe Wilson (R, South Carolina).
Representatives of the U.S. legislature expressed support for further strengthening economic ties with Central Asia and confirmed their readiness to assist in implementing initiatives aimed at improving well-being and economic stability in the region. The congressmen called for the establishment of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) between the United States and the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as other countries in the region.
In turn, Director of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Eric Hontz and Director of the International Trade Administration Matthew Edwards, noting the high level of trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United States, pointed out the importance of increasing the presence of American businesses in Central Asia.
Additionally, the participants highly valued the ongoing economic and democratic reforms of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which, in their opinion, set a new direction for the development of both the country and the region as a whole, increasing its attractiveness for American business.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States Yerzhan Ashikbayev outlined the country’s strategic commitment to a multi-vector policy, which proved to be an effective mechanism for interaction with international partners. He noted that Astana, being a bridge between the West and the East, builds pragmatic and mutually beneficial relations with all global players, including the United States, which is one of the main trade and economic partners of the country.
In this context, Ambassador Ashikbayev noted the prospects for building up partnerships with the United States in areas such as critical minerals, agriculture, IT technologies, and more.
Following the event, the participants outlined the need to respect the interests of stakeholders in the implementation of agreements aimed at strengthening and developing Central Asia.
