On his trip to Kazakhstan, Blinken met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Deputy Prime Minister-Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi to deepen bilateral cooperation.
The basic objective of the visit also includes participation in the C5+1 ministerial meeting with representatives of the five Central Asian states.
During the special teleconference discussion by the U.S. Department of State, Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, said the main goal of the visit is to demonstrate that the US is a reliable partner, who understands the difficulties that Central Asian economies have faced amid the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
This is the fourth time Blinken will take part in the C5+1 meeting. The latest meeting in this format took place in New York on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Blinken is also expected to travel to Uzbekistan to meet with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. According to Lu, he will attend a civil society event with students in both capitals.
