U.S.-Kazakhstan relations

Trade between the U.S. and Kazakhstan is limited and heavily skewed toward energy, which has been exempt from the new tariffs.

With U.S. aid diminished, it seems unlikely that China will fill the gap. Beijing favors investments in infrastructure over civil society.

The United States' footprint in the Central Asian arms market is minimal, but the State Department believes this situation could change in the future.

The messages provide a glimpse as to what the Central Asian states wish to see from the next U.S. administration and how they aim to position themselves.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu heads to Uzbekistan and India next. 

The parallel imports that pass through Kazakhstan to Russia represent a complex equation with variables ranging from the customs union to corruption.

Russian Telegram channels linked Kazakhstan to conspiracy theories about U.S. bioweapons in Ukraine. 

Russian and Chinese influence in the region will never go away. But the United States now has a rare and valuable window of opportunity.

Senators Murphy and Young stress that the time is ripe to drop the “outdated” restrictions of Jackson-Vanik and “redefine” the U.S. relationship with Central Asia.

The U.S. has an opportunity to offer Central Asia a strategic alternative to China and Russia based on partnership rather than exploitation. The Jackson-Vanik amendment stands in the way.

Without directly commenting, CENTOM told The Diplomat that “plans for shared military environments involving our partners in Kazakhstan are currently underway.” 

Central Asia will generally welcome -- and want -- U.S. attention, but will want a degree of circumspection.