US Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns to visit Astana

US Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns is to visit Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital city, Tengrinews.kz reports, citing the Press Service of the US Embassy in Kazakhstan.

“Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns will travel to Tashkent, Uzbekistan May 6-7 and Astana, Kazakhstan May 8. In both countries he will affirm the United States’ longstanding commitment to the security and prosperity of Central Asia”, the official statement reads.

Representatives of the US Embassy emphasized that the USA was the first nation to open its embassy in the independent Kazakhstan and the two nations had been cooperating on a wide range of issues, including regional security, expansion of trade and economic cooperation, strengthening of human rights and the civil society.

“In Kazakhstan, Deputy Secretary Burns will meet with senior Kazakhstani officials to discuss a wide range of bilateral and regional issues including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan’s WTO accession, and our joint efforts to advance regional economic integration”, the statement reads.