Resilient ties: US Ambassador Rosenblum addresses key issues with Kazakhstan on Silk Way TV
Speaking for New Time, a Silk Way TV program, U.S. Ambassador Daniel Rosenblum delved into pressing topics including the U.S. presidential election, developments in U.S.-Kazakhstan partnerships, and Kazakhstan’s position amid global sanctions, highlighting the resilience of this diplomatic relationship, Kazinform News Agency reports.
On the topic of the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Ambassador Rosenblum acknowledged the close competition.
“As is obvious, I think, to most people in the world, our political system right now is very closely divided between the two parties and the two candidates,” he noted.
Drawing from his nearly 28 years of experience in the State Department, Daniel Rosenblum reflected on his experiences working under multiple administrations.
“The good thing in terms of foreign policy, and especially policy here in Central Asia, is that as administrations have changed. And I expect the same to happen after this election as well.” Despite the upcoming election, Rosenblum was optimistic about continuity in U.S. policy towards Central Asia. “I don't predict there will be any big change in policy towards Central Asia,” he stated.
Turning to the U.S.-Kazakhstan partnership, Rosenblum emphasized recent accomplishments, particularly at the September “C5+1” meeting in New York, where Central Asian foreign ministers met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“I think that meeting demonstrated that the level of trust is very high and the level of cooperation is very high. I will look for more global cooperation, more regional cooperation, and working with the U.S. as a partner,” he stated, highlighting tangible progress in multiple areas: “Whether it's security cooperation between our two countries, economic cooperation, or cooperation on political or governance issues, we see progress in every field.”
On human rights, Rosenblum pointed to intensified dialogue, acknowledging both achievements and ongoing challenges.
“We have something called the High-Level Dialogue on Human Rights,” he explained, adding, “while there are areas of more progress and areas of less progress, we've just in the last year seen some breakthroughs in Kazakhstan, I think, with respect to domestic violence with respect to trafficking in persons with new legislation being passed. Obviously, that's not solely because of the relationship between the U.S. and Kazakhstan, but I believe that's contributed to some of these areas of progress.”
Addressing the effect of sanctions on Kazakhstan due to its economic ties with Russia, Rosenblum clarified, “The sanctions that are in place, of course, I think everyone understands, are not targeted at Kazakhstan.”
He acknowledged the difficulties Kazakhstan faces, given its geographic proximity to Russia, but stressed Kazakhstan’s commitment to compliance.
“The position has been consistently that Kazakhstan will not violate the international sanctions and will not be a platform for avoiding the sanctions or circumventing the sanctions,” he explained.
To support Kazakhstan in navigating these complexities, Rosenblum outlined the U.S. approach.
“We've worked very closely as partners with the government of Kazakhstan to make it easier by explaining the different sanctions rules, especially because they change over time as more sanctions are added, and sometimes doing briefings for the private sector as well,” he said. Acknowledging the challenges, he concluded, “Again, it's never simple, but we're seeing the impact all of this has on Kazakhstan.”
To note, the 60th quadrennial presidential election in the United States will take place on Tuesday, November 5.
