On July 8, 2013, at the Hay-Adams in Washington, DC, the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center sponsored a dinner and reception for Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov. The event provided policymakers and academics with an opportunity to engage the minister on his country’s foreign policy priorities, such key regional challenges as Afghanistan and Russia, and on challenges and opportunities in Kazakhstan’s development. Atlantic Council President Fred Kempe opened the program by officially announcing the Center’s Eurasia Trade and Economic Development Initiative. The project focuses on Central Asia and the Caucasus and aims to connect these regions more fully with the transatlantic community and values. Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Robert Hormats and Minister Idrissov provided brief remarks on the importance of the US-Kazakh relationship.

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Foreign Minister Idrissov is well known to many in the US based on his service as Kazakhstan’s ambassador here in 2007-2012, after which he was appointed for a second time as foreign minister. He has also served as Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Kingdom of Norway. This dinner discussion provided an opportunity to engage with him on his and his country’s foreign policy priorities, such key regional challenges as Afghanistan and Russia, and on challenges and opportunities in Kazakhstan’s development.

As undersecretary of state for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs Robert Hormats, has helped shape U.S. policy in the region. Bob was formerly vice chairman of Goldman Sachs (International) and served as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Ambassador and Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, and Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business. He served as a senior staff member for International Economic Affairs on the National Security Council, where he was senior economic advisor to Dr. Henry Kissinger, General Brent Scowcroft and Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski.