President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received the US Congressional delegation led by James Panetta and Thomas Suozzi on September 2, Qazmonitor reports with reference to the presidential press release.
The two sides discussed the prospects for the development of Kazakh-American relations with a focus on strengthening inter-parliamentary ties through the U.S. – Kazakhstan Congressional Caucus.
The Kazakh President noted the importance of the visit of American lawmakers for promoting parliamentary diplomacy, as well as expressed satisfaction with the dynamics of bilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation.
Panetta and Suozzi commended Tokayev's effort in implementing large-scale political and economic reforms in Kazakhstan, which the President announced in his September 1 address to the nation.
In his speech, Tokayev also proposed to hold early presidential elections this fall and limit the presidential mandate to one term of 7 years without the right for re-election. U.S. Charge d'Affaires Judy Kuo expressed that the U.S. is ready to support the elections and will monitor a fair election process.
Kuo noted that the U.S. has a wide range of programs to support and assist Kazakhstan in various industrial sectors, including defense.
