WASHINGTON, DC (CI GCA) – President Donald J. Trump deftly used American business to woo Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev to act as the “honest broker” in the new Great Game between the United States and rivals Russia and China.
[President of Kazakhstan HE Nursultan Nazarbayev filmed by Capitol Intelligence/Greater Central Asia (GCA) using CI Glass being honored by US Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue following Oval meeting with President Donald J. Trump at the USCC in Washington, DC. January 16, 2018]
The Trump White House had the official state visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev held under the auspices of US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) President and CEO Ray W. Washburne rather than Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and US Defense Secretary General Jim Mattis.
President of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev visit was awarded with USD 7bn in commercial and bilateral deals at a reception and signing ceremony hosted the US Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue with American blue chip companies such as IBM (NYSE: IBM), General Electric (NYSE:GE), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), John Deere (NYSE:DE), W.R. Grace & Co (NYSE: GRA), Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX).
[Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) President and CEO Ray W. Washburne and KazakhInvest Chairman Saparbek Tuyakbaev filmed by Capitol Intelligence/GCA using CI Glass signing MOU at US Chamber of Commerce reception for Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev]
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev prides himself in allowing his Central Asian nation to remain a “good neighbor” between an increasingly belligerent Russia under President Vladmir Putin and expansionist China under President Xi Jinping while at the same time remaining an ally and close friend of the United States.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is aggressively expanding in Russia’s area of influence in former Soviet republics in Central Asia through China’s “One Belt, One Road,” spending countless billions in state financed infrastructure projects to recreate the ancient “Silk Road” trade route.
Russia under international sanctions following the annexation of Crimea has been primarily focused in containing domestic economic fall-out and seemingly distracted from countering Chinese political-economic expansion into Central Asia.
While speaking at conference on Chinese infrastructure investment hosted by Washington’s most influential think tank, the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC, Bechtel Chairman and CEO Brendan P. Bechtel noted that America’s largest construction group has been pushed out of the global top ten construction groups by Chinese state-owned companies.
[Bechtel Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brendan Bechtel filmed by Capitol Intelligence/CI GCA using CI Glass answer question on President Donald Trump naming China as “strategic competitor” at Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC. Dec. 18, 2017]
Economic Advisor under President Obama and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers said ones needs to be concerned on how China expects to ever recoup her massive investment in the “One Belt, One Road” infrastructure initiative.
However, President Trump and his pro-business administration has decided to focus their efforts to combat these disturbing geo-political trends on the American export the whole world’s welcomes: private sector investment from US companies.
Kazakhstan with a highly educated multiethnic population of 18m in a country the size of Europe is uniquely attractive to US and foreign investment.
The country is especially interested in investments in strategic sectors such as agriculture, ITC, and manufacturing as it is attempting to increasingly diversify its economy from oil and gas.
Yerzhan Tutkushev, the Co-Managing Director of New Industries for Kazakhstan’s USD 70bn sovereign wealth fund Samruk Kazyna, said the country already has a pipeline of initial public offerings for state-controlled companies such as its Telco. Tutkushev also said Samruk Kazyna welcomes investment from small-to-medium size US companies in all its sectors.
One US small and medium size company already seizing the day it Minneapolis, Minnesota-based DTN/Progressive Farmer that specializes in providing farmers real-time weather and crop data via mini-satellite weather stations. DTN customers include American food giants such as Minneapolis-based Cargill and Salisbury, Maryland-based Perdue Farms.
[DTN CEO Emeritus Ron Sznaider and Overseas Private Investment Corporation Director Harris Mehos filmed by Capitol Intelligence using CI Glass at US Chamber of Commerce reception for Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev Washington, DC. Jan, 16, 2018]
DTN CEO Emeritus Ron Sznaider, who attended the US Chamber of Commerce CEO roundtable with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, said DTN’s Climate Smart satellites can increase farmer’s yield by circa 20%.
For Kazakhstan — the former bread basket of the Soviet Union — DTN technology and innovation is just the type of US investment sought after by Central Asia’s “good neighbor.”
By PK Semler in Washington, DC. For more information please call +1-202-549-3399 or email pks@capitolintelgroup.com
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