Blinken arrives in Kazakhstan to boost US role in Central Asia

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in the Kazakhstan capital, Astana, early Tuesday on a trip aimed at boosting the U.S. role in Central Asia.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Blinken at his residence and thanked the US for supporting the state's sovereignty, Kazakh Telegraph Agency reports.

"I would like to express my gratitude for the constant and firm support of the United States for our independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty," Tokayev said.

The President also noted the importance of Blinken's visit, as it will contribute to building strategic cooperation between the countries.

At the same time, Blinken called for deepening the partnership between the countries. According to him, only in recent years the USA and Kazakhstan have achieved "new important successes in this direction."

"We intend to interact at the highest level," the US Secretary of State noted.

The United States is one of the largest investors in Kazakhstan, with a total investment of over $62 billion.

Blinken will travel to Uzbekistan later on February 28. He is also due to attend a G20 meeting in India.