OREANDA-NEWS. December 15, 2014. During his visit to Washington, Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov held a series of meetings in the White House, as well as interviews with the US Deputy Minister of Trade and Energy.

Kazakh Foreign Minister discussed the issues of strengthening regional stability and sustainable development during the conversation with the US President's advisor for National Security Susan Rice. Susan Rice thanked Kazakhstan for the constructive role played by our country throughout the country and globally.

There was also a substantive discussion across the spectrum of bilateral cooperation and regional issues with the Deputy Advisor of the President for National Security Tony Blinken.

Further intensification of trade and investment and energy cooperation was discussed by E. Idrissov with First Deputy Ministers of Trade and Energy of the USA B. Andrews and E. Sherwood-Randall.

B. Andrews confirmed the interest of the United States in “cooperation to increase US investment activity in Kazakhstan and to expand American business presence there”. According to him, large-scale infrastructure projects, initiated by President Nursultan Nazarbayev in his Address to the Nation "Nurly Zhol", "are a testament to his strategic vision and very positively perceived by the American business community".

The two sides stressed the importance of high-quality preparation for the upcoming EXPO 2017 and to creation of conditions for fruitful participation of US companies. The importance of further implementation and full use of the potential of the Special American Business Internship Training program and training (SABIT) also was noted according to which 400 Kazakh businessmen has already been trained in the United States for today.

At the meeting of E. Idrissov with E. Sherwood-Randall there was the focus of cooperation between the two countries in the field of nuclear energy, as well as in strengthening the non-proliferation regime. The two sides expressed satisfaction with the efficient work of the Bilateral Commission on Energy Partnership, the 10th anniversary meeting of which has been held in Astana this year. The agenda of the Commission continues to expand and includes, in addition to oil and nuclear energy, cooperation on energy efficiency and renewable energy development.

On the same day E. Idrissov gave several interviews to US and international media, during which they discussed issues of mutual relations of Kazakhstan with the United States, approaches to major international issues, including the crisis in Ukraine.