Photo: Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan and the United States signed 29 agreements totaling approximately $17 billion during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Washington, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on November 7.
The signed documents mark a new stage in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries, the ministry emphasized. One of the key outcomes is a $2.5 billion localization agreement with the American machinery manufacturer John Deere. It provides for the production of at least 3,000 units of agricultural equipment in Kostanay and Turkistan, the creation of three service centers, workforce development, and the establishment of a regional hub in Kazakhstan for spare parts supply to CIS countries.
In the mining sector, Tau-Ken Samruk and the U.S. company Cove Capital signed a $1.1 billion agreement on the joint development of the Severny Katpar and Verkhneye Kairakty tungsten deposits in the Karaganda region — among the largest untapped tungsten reserves in the world.
In aviation, national carrier Air Astana and Boeing signed a letter of intent for the supply of 18 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner wide-body aircraft.
Beeline Kazakhstan concluded a partnership with Starlink’s Direct to Cell service to provide satellite connectivity across the country, including remote areas not covered by terrestrial networks.
In the field of smart mobility and clean technologies, Kazakhstan signed memorandums with BETA Technologies and Joby Aero Inc. worth about $300 million. The projects include development of electric aviation, air taxis, and intelligent transport systems.
In finance and investment, the National Investment Corporation of the National Bank of Kazakhstan signed three agreements worth about $1 billion with major global funds — Brookfield Asset Management, Cerberus Capital Management, and Ashmore Investment Advisors Corporation — to support infrastructure, private capital markets, and debt instruments. The National Bank and Visa also signed a memorandum on cooperation in digital payments, cybersecurity, and SME support, including the establishment of a Competence Center at National Payment Cards.
In education and science, agreements worth about $50 million were signed with Arizona State University, Colorado School of Mines, Coursera, OpenAI, Freedom Group Inc., and others. Initiatives include establishing a new technical university in Ulytau (Zhezkazgan) with the participation of the Colorado School of Mines, developing dual-degree programs, digitalizing education, and introducing innovative solutions based on ChatGPT Education.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the U.S.-based Educational Testing Service (ETS) signed a roadmap to modernize the national testing system using artificial intelligence and adaptive learning technologies.
In industrial and medical development, Samruk-Kazyna and Ashmore Investment Advisors announced a $150 million project to establish Kazakhstan’s first Western-branded multidisciplinary clinic, which will serve as a regional hub for advanced medical care.
Additionally, 1Thirty Holding (AsiaColor), together with the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), signed a $130 million memorandum to build a vertically integrated chemical complex in the United States — Kazakhstan’s first industrial investment project in America.
“Overall, the agreements signed during the visit confirm the high level of trust between Kazakhstan and the United States and demonstrate the strategic focus of bilateral partnership on innovation, investment, and sustainable development,” the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
This marks President Tokayev’s second visit to the United States in the past two months. During his previous trip, Kazakhstan signed the “largest deal in its history” to purchase locomotives and railway equipment from U.S. manufacturer Wabtec worth $4 billion.
