The US is “determined” to strengthen its relationship with Kazakhstan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says forward of a gathering of the C5+1 group, made up of the US and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
(AFP)
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has vowed US help for Kazakhstan’s independence on a visit to spice up affect in Central Asia, which has been rattled by Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.
“As you know well, the United States strongly supports Kazakhstan’s sovereignty, its independence, its territorial integrity,” Blinken stated on Tuesday as he met along with his Kazakh counterpart.
“Sometimes we just say those words and they actually have no meaning. And of course, in this particular time, they have even more resonance than usual,” Blinken stated, referring to Russia’s assault on Ukraine a 12 months in the past.
Blinken stated that the United States was “determined to make even stronger” the US relationship with Kazakhstan, which has embraced cooperation with Washington since its independence on the collapse of the Soviet Union, regardless of Moscow’s overwhelming affect.
The high US diplomat later opened talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and can fly afterwards to a different Central Asian Turkic nation, Uzbekistan.
In Astana, Blinken may also meet with the overseas ministers of all 5 former Soviet republics in Central Asia, which additionally embody Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
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Race for affect
The journey is probably the most senior to Central Asia by an official in US President Joe Biden’s administration and it comes days after the anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine, which has obtained billions of {dollars} in Western help.
Central Asian nations have longstanding safety and financial relationships with Russia however, not like fellow former Soviet republic Belarus, they haven’t rallied behind Moscow over the conflict.
All 5 Central Asian nations abstained or didn’t vote final week on a UN General Assembly decision that demanded that Moscow pull out of Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin’s justifications for the conflict, which included deploring the remedy of Russian audio system in Ukraine, have rattled nerves in Central Asian nations with sizable Russian minorities.
Kazakhstan, which has the longest land border with Russia, has welcomed Russians fleeing navy service and known as for a diplomatic decision to the conflict that respects worldwide regulation.
China, which the United States views as its most vital long-term challenger, has additionally been searching for to increase its affect within the adjoining area. President Xi Jinping final 12 months selected Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for his first overseas journey because the Covid-19 pandemic.
After Central Asia, Blinken will head to New Delhi for a gathering of the Group of 20 overseas ministers.
He is predicted to keep away from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whom he has solely spoken to by phone because the conflict. The United States believes that Moscow just isn’t honest a few negotiated resolution.
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Source: TRTWorld and companies
Source: www.trtworld.com
