Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan visited the United States in June 2025 for high-level discussions on enhancing relations between the two countries and expanding opportunities for trade and investment.
During Nurtleu’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the two countries’ top diplomats “discussed political and economic cooperation, energy, trade and logistics,” according to The Astana Times, and “exchanged views on regional and global security challenges.”
Nurtleu emphasized Kazakhstan’s commitment to a “mutually beneficial partnership” with the U.S. and highlighted his country’s central role in maintaining the stability of global energy and critical mineral supply chains.
Rubio came away from the meeting optimistic about future Kazakhstan-U.S. relations and reiterated “the United States’ commitment to Kazakhstan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan.
“The United States looks forward to enhancing cooperation
with Kazakhstan to unlock economic opportunities of shared
interest,” Rubio said.
In addition to increased bilateral ties, both Nurtleu and Rubio emphasized the importance of strengthening multilateral regional cooperation within the C5+1 framework, which includes Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the U.S., to better support international and regional security.
Nurtleu has been a key protagonist in an emerging regional strategy in which Central Asian states, led by Kazakhstan, seek to use multilateral formats, such as the C5+1 framework, to lessen reliance on traditional trading partners from the days of the Soviet Union.
Nutrleu also met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Topics included “prospects for expanding transport and logistics corridors, diversifying export routes, developing related infrastructure and improving mutual access to agricultural markets,” The Astana Times reported.
Sources: The Astana Times, The Times of Central Asia, U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Kazakhstan