Kazakhstan and the United States Identify New Frontiers for Strategic Economic Partnership

On June 30, Astana hosted the "Republic of Kazakhstan – United States of America" business roundtable, organized by the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Atameken," the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan. The event served as a vital platform for discussing a new phase of Kazakh-American economic cooperation, driven by investment, technology exchange, and the development of joint manufacturing facilities.

The event brought together representatives from government agencies, business circles, international corporations, financial institutions, and the expert communities of both nations to explore prospects for expanding trade, economic, and investment cooperation.

Welcoming remarks were delivered by Serik Zhumangarin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Yerzhan Kazykhan, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Relations with the USA; Deborah Robinson, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Kanat Sharlapaev, Chairman of the Presidium of the NCE RK "Atameken", and Khush Choksy, Senior Vice President at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Opening the event, Kanat Sharlapaev noted that Kazakhstan and the United States have come a long way in developing bilateral economic cooperation. According to him, U.S. companies were the first strategic investors in independent Kazakhstan, laying the foundation for a long-term partnership. Today, cooperation between the two countries extends beyond traditional trade relations, evolving toward technological collaboration, localization of manufacturing, and the creation of new growth engines.

The Chairman of the Presidium of NCE "Atameken" emphasized that one of Kazakhstan's key priorities is establishing a transparent, predictable, and competitive regulatory environment for foreign investors. In cooperation with the Government, systematic efforts are underway to improve tax administration, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and create favorable conditions for long-term investment projects.

In his speech, Kanat Sharlapaev paid special attention to new avenues of cooperation that hold mutual interest for Kazakhstan and the United States. Priority areas included projects for the development of critical materials and rare earth metals, coupled with the establishment of downstream processing facilities and joint R&D centers, the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route with the involvement of American companies in the modernization of port and logistics infrastructure, as well as collaboration in the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and fintech leveraging the ecosystem of the Astana International Financial Centre.

Special emphasis was placed on the agribusiness sector. Kazakhstan invited its American partners to implement joint projects in precision agriculture, advanced agricultural processing, and the localization of manufacturing for modern machinery and irrigation systems.

«We are interested not just in attracting capital, but in establishing advanced manufacturing facilities, transferring technology, driving innovation, and shaping new centers of economic growth. Kazakhstan aims to foster a partnership that generates long-term economic value for both nations,» the head of the National Chamber stated.

As part of the business program, representatives of Kazakhstan government agencies, executives from national companies, international corporations, and major U.S. businesses discussed investment cooperation, energy, transport and logistics, digital transformation, infrastructure projects, the financial sector, and innovation.

Speakers during the business sessions included the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as executives from JSC NC KazMunayGas, KTZ, the Astana International Financial Centre, Freedom Holding Corp., BI Group, the Investor Rights Protection Committee of the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and other leading organizations.

An open panel discussion generated significant interest among participants, featuring representatives from Shell, Wabtec, Mastercard, Hill International, Chevron, Apple, Honeywell, Lummus Technology, AVEVA, Herbalife, Sheraton Astana Marriott International, Eurasia Group Kazakhstan, Citi, Dynamic Aviation, Global Data Risk, ExxonMobil, Johnson & Johnson Kazakhstan LLP, Plug and Play, Resecurity, Baker Hughes, Viasat, Aretera, Vertiv and other multinational corporations. The discussion focused on the investment climate, the development of high-tech manufacturing, the digitalization of the economy, and expanding the footprint of American businesses in Kazakhstan.

A key outcome of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership between the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Atameken" and the U.S.-Kazakhstan Business Council of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The document aims to further enhance direct engagement between the business communities of both countries, facilitate joint investment projects, and strengthen institutional cooperation.

Participants of the business roundtable expressed confidence that the agreements reached would drive new joint initiatives, boost bilateral trade, attract investments, and further solidify the strategic economic partnership between Kazakhstan and the United States, built on investment, innovation, technology exchange, and the mutual creation of new opportunities.