Toqayev’s Visit to Washington: New Agreements, Big Deals

President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev has begun his official visit to the United States, where he is holding a series of high-level meetings in Washington, Orda.kz reports.

His trip marks a new stage in Kazakhstan’s strategic partnership with the United States, with both sides emphasizing cooperation in energy, critical minerals, and trade.

Meetings at The State Department

Toqayev’s visit began with a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Special Presidential Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gore.

The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation.

The Kazakh president noted that the two countries have broad opportunities to deepen their strategic partnership—primarily through developing economic ties, creating new jobs, and supporting business.

He also emphasized that Kazakhstan maintains active political dialogue with the United States at all levels and is ready to continue broad-based cooperation.

Kazakhstan and The U.S. Sign Minerals Cooperation Memorandum

The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of critical minerals, a sector of increasing strategic importance for both sides.

The agreement was signed by Minister of Industry and Construction Yersaiyn Nagaspayev and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

Discussions on Sanctions and Economic Stability

While in Washington, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov met with Brian Smith, Director of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The parties confirmed their commitment to an open, pragmatic, and transparent dialogue based on mutual respect and agreed to continue consultations,
 The Ministry of Energy stated.

The talks followed a new package of sanctions announced by President Donald Trump in late October against Russian energy giant Lukoil, which later said it would sell off its foreign assets.

Meetings With the U.S. Congress

Toqayev also met with a U.S. congressional delegation that included Jimmy Panetta, Carol Miller, Bill Huizenga, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove. He noted that the United States remains one of Kazakhstan’s largest economic partners, with American investments exceeding $100 billion—about 80% of total U.S. investments in Central Asia.

The delegation members previously introduced a bill to repeal the Jackson-Vanik Amendment for Central Asian countries. Two identical bills — one in the Senate and one in the House — seek to lift outdated Cold War-era trade restrictions.

Senator Steve Daines said the resolution, dedicated to a decade of cooperation between the United States and Central Asia, has already been approved by the Senate. If passed, it will allow unrestricted exports from the region to the U.S. market, opening a new stage in bilateral trade.

Meetings With American Businesses

Toqayev met with Michael Wirth, Chair of Chevron Corporation, praising the company’s contribution to major oil and gas projects at the Tengiz and Karachaganak fields. He emphasized that Chevron remains one of Kazakhstan’s key strategic partners and reaffirmed Astana’s readiness for continued cooperation in extraction, processing, and transport.

This was the third meeting between the two this year — following talks in Astana in April and New York in September.

Toqayev called the partnership with the American agricultural machinery manufacturer a model of successful industrial cooperation and welcomed John Deere’s decision to localize production in partnership with AgromashHolding KZ.

Since the project’s launch in May 2025, more than 290 units of equipment have been assembled, with another 100 expected by year’s end.

During the visit, a $2.5 billion Strategic Partnership Agreement was also signed, providing for the production of at least 3,000 units of John Deere equipment over five years, the opening of three service centers, and the creation of a training system for technical personnel.

Media Engagements and The C5+1 Summit

While in Washington, Toqayev gave interviews to two leading American publications, addressing Kazakh-American relations, the goals of his visit, and the foreign policy of President Donald Trump.

He also shared his views on the geopolitical situation, including events surrounding Ukraine, and outlined Kazakhstan’s position on international issues.

Talks at The White House

On November 7, Toqayev and Trump met at the White House. 

In a social media post, Donald Trump said he had spoken with Qasym-Jomart Toqayev and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announcing that Kazakhstan would join the Abraham Accords, becoming the first country to do so during his second presidential term.

This is a major step forward in building bridges across the World. Today, more Nations are lining up to embrace Peace and Prosperity through my Abraham Accords. We will soon announce a Signing Ceremony to make it official, and there are many more Countries trying to join this club of STRENGTH. So much more to come in uniting Countries for Stability and Growth — Real progress, real results. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!Trump wrote.

The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020–2021 under U.S. mediation, are a series of agreements normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority states.

During the White House meeting, Toqayev and Trump discussed key areas of cooperation and finalized a series of major economic agreements. Toqayev expressed support for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) initiative, which aims to promote connectivity through the Middle Corridor.

Trump reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to strengthening its partnership with Kazakhstan, while both leaders welcomed the signing of over $17 billion in commercial deals covering energy, infrastructure, digital technologies, and agriculture.

Expressing gratitude to Trump for organizing the meeting, Toqayev said the summit marked a new era of interaction between Central Asia and the United States.

He also praised Trump’s global leadership role, noting that American investment has played a key role in Kazakhstan’s development.

During your first term in the White House, our relations were formally enshrined as an expanded strategic partnership. The United States, having invested over $100 billion, is the largest investor in our economy, acting as a kind of perpetual motion machine. Trade between our countries has doubled in recent years, approaching $5 billion. We meet nearly 25% of America’s domestic uranium demand. More than 600 American companies do business in Kazakhstan,
 Toqayev said.