Press Releases
Remarks By U.S. Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland
USTDA Signing Ceremony
September 23, 2009,
U.S. Embassy, Astana
I am very pleased to sign two grant agreements today on behalf of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. These grants are in the interest of Kazakhstan, they are in the interest of Caspian region, and, in fact, they are in the interest of the much broader region.
The U.S. government has a direct interest in promoting trade and investment in Kazakhstan. These two grants will help to improve the legal and physical infrastructure for maritime trade in the Caspian Sea, which is vital to Kazakhstan's future economic development.
We expect these projects to increase efficiency and turnover at the Aktau Sea Port, which will expedite the shipment of Kazakhstani crude oil across the Caspian to Baku, for onward shipment to world markets via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.
The development of Aktau Sea Port will also indirectly support the transportation of non-lethal military supplies to U.S. forces in Afghanistan via the Northern Distribution Network.
I had the honor of visiting Mangistau oblast in July, when I toured the Aktau Sea Port and met with Deputy Akim Askar Nurgaliyev, as well as senior managers from KazMorTransFlot.
I discussed these two projects with them during my visit, and they expressed strong interest in receiving U.S. support.
