US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will pay his first official visit to Kazakhstan on Feb. 28, according to the U.S. Department of State statement.
Blinken is expected to meet with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister-Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi to deepen bilateral cooperation.
He will also participate in a C5+1 Ministerial with representatives of the five Central Asian states to “reaffirm the US commitment to the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries and to collaborate with the region on solutions to shared global challenges.”
The meeting will focus on enhancing economic, energy, environmental, and security cooperation among the US, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
During the event, Blinken will meet with senior government officials from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan to discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation opportunities and advance the shared goal of a prosperous, secure, and democratic region.
After concluding his visit to Kazakhstan, the U.S. Secretary will travel to Uzbekistan, where he will meet with Uzbek officials to further advance partnership on a range of bilateral and regional issues.
On March 1, Blinken will travel to New Delhi to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting and meet with Indian government officials and civil society to reaffirm a solid bilateral partnership.