ROAD TO THE ASTANA EXPO 2017:Shared Prosperity and Dynamic Development

December 8, 2015

United States Institute of Peace2301 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20037

Kazakhstan-United States Convention

The Third Annual

2 | Kazakhstan–United States Convention 2015 Program

The event will be live tweeted, using the hashtag #KZUS.

Astana cityscape

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 1

“ The United States and Kazakhstan have

a strong history of working closely together

to address global and regional challenges

successfully.

“ In a world of many threats, long-term stability

and security cannot be achieved without

the development of representative and

accountable institutions and civil society.

I look forward to working together with

you on all these important issues for the

benefit of both our countries.” (April 27, 2015)

Strategic Partnership in ActionPresident Nazarbayev, Republic of Kazakhstan | President Obama, United States of America

“ Recently, I had a meeting with President

Barack Obama in New York, where we

discussed issues of bilateral cooperation.

Since the independence of our country, which

will turn 24 in December, we have cooperated

with the U.S. Our citizens are thankful for

constant support of our sovereignty and

economic development. Presently, there

are about 500 companies operating in

Kazakhstan with the participation of American

assets. We are aiming to continue close

cooperation.” (November 2, 2015)

2 | Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program

On November 2, 2015, U.S. Secretary of

State John Kerry made an official visit to

the Republic of Kazakhstan. During his visit,

Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Erlan

Idrissov co-chaired the fourth meeting of

the U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership

Dialogue. Secretary Kerry expressed the

United States’ unwavering support for

Kazakhstan’s sovereignty and territorial

integrity, and congratulated Kazakhstan on

the 550th anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate.

The United States and Kazakhstan

underscored their support for the Minsk

process as the only means to resolve the

conflict and restore peace in the borderlands of eastern Ukraine. The United States appreciated

Kazakhstan’s commitment to expanding economic cooperation with Ukraine. The United States

welcomed Kazakhstan’s leadership in supporting security and development in Afghanistan and in

advancing regional economic integration in Central Asia, and both sides expressed optimism the

newly launched C5+1 framework will contribute to stability and development in Central Asia. Both

sides pledged to deepen their cooperation in countering the threats of ISIL, terrorism, and violent

extremism, and the United States thanked Kazakhstan for hosting a regional conference

on countering violent extremism in June 2015.

The two sides reviewed their strong cooperation on peacekeeping and looked forward to working

together to identify potential UN missions in which Kazakhstani peacekeepers could deploy. Both

sides affirmed their continued collaboration to expand law enforcement cooperation, noting the

importance of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty concluded in February 2015.

The United States and Kazakhstan reaffirmed their shared commitment to preventing the spread of

weapons of mass destruction. The United States congratulated Kazakhstan on the August signing

of an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency to establish a Low Enriched Uranium

Bank in Kazakhstan. The United States is pleased to support Kazakhstan’s plans to break ground on

a regional Nuclear Security Training Center in Kazakhstan in early 2016. The United States thanked

Kazakhstan for its efforts to strengthen non-proliferation and regional stability, including through

hosting of two rounds of P5+1 talks, which contributed to the successful conclusion of the Joint

Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Joint Statement of the Fourth U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership DialogueNovember 2, 2015

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 3

The United States congratulated Kazakhstan on completing its WTO accession process and

encouraged Kazakhstan’s efforts to use the OECD Country Program to make needed reforms.

The United States praised Kazakhstan’s investments to improve regional connectivity. The two

sides recognized the importance of private-sector innovation and will pursue opportunities to

promote entrepreneurship. They also looked forward to concluding an agreement on the Foreign

Account Tax Compliance Act.

Kazakhstan and the United States committed to combating climate change by pledging to reduce

emissions at the upcoming 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris. The two countries stressed the

importance of energy security, and the United States welcomed Expo 2017, with its focus on green

energy. The United States expressed appreciation to Kazakhstan for hosting the International Science

and Technology Center.

Kazakhstan and the United States reaffirmed the importance of democratic development and respect

for human rights, including efforts to strengthen institutions such as independent media and local

government. Both sides acknowledged the importance of a diverse and vibrant civil society. The

United States acknowledged the ambitious scope of Kazakhstan’s “100 Steps” reform program and

welcomed Kazakhstan’s commitment to ensuring that the reforms strengthen civil society and the

rule of law and bolster the free exchange of ideas.

Kazakhstan and the United States affirmed their commitment to increasing educational and

professional ties. The United States plans to expand opportunities for Kazakhstanis to study and

train in the United States, including through promoting partnerships between U.S. and Kazakhstani

universities, and to increase English-language training to support Kazakhstan’s education reforms.

The two sides agreed to hold a full interagency Strategic Partnership Dialogue in 2016 and continue

high-level engagement in other fora.

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Three years have passed since we hosted the

1st Kazakhstan-U.S. Convention in Washington,

DC. Since then, the Convention brought

together many prominent public and political

figures, influential officials, renowned experts

and business leaders to discuss topical issues

of growing strategic partnership.

This year, the Convention will focus on such

themes as the New Silk Road, Astana EXPO

2017 and business-to-business partnership in the

context of Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO. All

these topics reflect the ever growing and dynamic

relationship between our two countries not only

in bilateral format, but also in a regional setting.

The U.S. initiative for the New Silk Road calls for greater connectivity through development

of hard and soft infrastructure, thus contributing to the regional cooperation in Central Asia.

Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent successful visit to Central Asia and his initiative for

the C5+1 ministerial dialogue are yet another mechanism for advancing the New Silk Road

strategy. Kazakhstan fully supports these strategies and welcomes greater economic and

developmental engagement with the United States in our region.

Astana EXPO 2017 is about future energy, sustainable development and preserving nature,

which stands high on the agenda of the world community. By hosting the world exhibition

of green energy technologies, Kazakhstan seeks to contribute to fighting climate change in

partnership with the United States and other responsible players of the world community. Thus,

we look forward to a decision by the U.S. side to establish its national pavilion at EXPO 2017

in Astana, as the United States is the recognized leader in efficient energy technologies and

EXPO 2017 fits America’s agenda of promoting green development.

One of the major milestones that Kazakhstan has achieved this year is its accession to the

WTO after long negotiations of almost two decades. This historic event enables Kazakhstan

and the U.S. to fully exploit the existing potential for greater trade and investments.

Welcome to the 3rd Annual Kazakhstan-U.S. ConventionHis Excellency Kairat Umarov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the U.S.

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 5

By facilitating commerce and incorporating new standards of doing business, Kazakhstan

is set to gain significantly from its membership in the medium and long run. As a result,

we expect to see even more active involvement of U.S. corporations in Kazakhstan’s

developmental and economic projects.

I look forward to hearing new ideas and learning fresh perspectives from participants on

how to consolidate the recent progress in our relationship and further expand mutually

beneficial cooperation, which are based on the solid foundation of people-to-people ties

and genuine friendship between our nations.

I appreciate your active participation in the Convention and wish you a successful day!

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Reducing CO2 Emissions

Developing low carbon energy technologies and lowering energy demand are crucial to reducing

the CO2 emissions causing climate change. Solutions such as carbon capture and storage,

renewable energy technologies, the use of hydrogen, the development of nuclear fusion technology,

and more will be showcased, explained, and experienced during Astana EXPO 2017.

Energy Efficient Technologies

Energy efficient technologies, education, behavior, policies, and regulations can have a strong

effect on the way energy is consumed. The EXPO will present solutions and best practices

for the renewable production and sustainable use of energy.

Sustainable Energy for All

Energy is a basic need and a human right. It is “essential for sustainable development and

for combating poverty,” says the United Nations. Yet 20% of the world’s population still does

not have access to electricity. Astana EXPO 2017 will showcase the solutions that are available

now and being developed to achieve the goals of the ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ Initiative

of the United Nations.

Astana EXPO 2017—Key Themes

Astana EXPO 2017 has identified three

themes that present an overview of

the state of energy today, and showcase

sustainable solutions and technological

innovations.

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 7

HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT OF ALABAMA

In the House of Representatives, Tuesday, April 28, 2015The United States and Kazakhstan, among others, strongly support the

Modern Day Silk Road initiative, which would revitalize the 2000-year-old

Silk Road trading route that connected South and Central Asia to the

Mediterranean. The New Silk Road would serve as a critical transportation,

communications, trade, energy and cultural bridge between East and

West, linking China and India with Europe and supporting the stability of

Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kazakhstan is central to its development.

HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF OF CALIFORNIA

In the House of Representatives, Thursday, April 30, 2015Kazakhstan has promoted a Central Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone

and is now leading a global movement against nuclear weapons testing

while offering to host the world’s first “nuclear fuel bank” in cooperation

with the International Atomic Energy Agency. It has worked to keep Iran

from acquiring nuclear weapons, and hosted the P5+1 talks in Almaty. And

while taking advantage of its natural and technological resources to develop

civilian nuclear power as an additional energy source, for both itself and

other countries, Kazakhstan sought to make civilian nuclear power production more safe and secure

by agreeing to adopt the Nuclear Security Guidelines at the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit.

It gives me enormous pleasure, as a co-chair of the House’s Nuclear Security Working Group, to

call our attention today to a nation where something has gone very, very right, and to commend the

Republic of Kazakhstan for the role it continues to play in creating a safer, more secure future for

itself and for the globe.

HON. ED WHITFIELD OF KENTUCKY

In the House of Representatives, Tuesday, August 4, 2015I rise today to recognize Kazakhstan and its commitment to nuclear

nonproliferation. As the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce

Subcommittee on Energy and Power, I recognize the complexities of

nuclear power and would like to commend Kazakhstan for its leadership,

helping to prevent the spread of nuclear materials and to advance the

responsible, peaceful use of existing civilian nuclear energy.

Congressional Records

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7:00 am–7:30 am | Registration

7:30 am–9:00 am | Congressional Breakfast Growing Comprehensive Partnership

MODERATOR

Congressman Don Bonker

SPEAKERS

His Excellency Kairat Umarov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the U.S.

Her Excellency Zhanar Aitzhanova, Minister of Economic Integration, Kazakhstan

Ceremony of presenting a medal “20th Anniversary of the Kazakhstan’s Constitution” to Mr. Howard Dahl, Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in North Dakota

Yeshaya Elazar Cohen, Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher R-CA

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX

Congressman Alcee Hastings D-FL

Congressman Billy Long R-MO

Congressman Ted Deutch D-FL

Congressman Mark Meadows R-NC

Congressman Paul Gosar R-AZ

Congressman Jeff Fortenberry R-NE

Congressman Bill Pascrell D-NJ

Congresswoman Corrine Brown D-FL

Congresswoman Martha Roby R-AL

Congresswoman Bonnie Coleman D-NJ

Mr. T.W. Dittrich, Global Sales Director, Spancrete

Mr. Tom Stepien, CEO, Primus Power

Dr. Nansen Saleri, President, QRI

9:15 am–9:45 am | Opening Ceremony

MODERATOR

Dr. S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

OPENING REMARKS

Ambassador William B. Taylor, USIP Executive Vice President

KEYNOTES

Her Excellency Zhanar Aitzhanova, Minister of Economic Integration, Kazakhstan

The Honorable Dr. Celeste A. Wallander, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia, U.S. National Security Council

9:45 am–10:45 am | Panel Session 1 Silk Road: Path to Prosperity?

MODERATOR

Mr. David Dollar, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

SPEAKERS

The Honorable Kurt Tong, U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs

Mr. Brien Desilets, Managing Director, Claret Consulting

Mr. Erlan Karin, Director of Kazakhstan Institute of Strategic Studies

10:45 am–11:00 am | Networking Break

3rd Kazakhstan-U.S. Convention U.S. Institute of Peace, Dec. 8, 2015

Road to the Astana EXPO 2017: Shared Prosperity and Dynamic Development

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 9

11:00 am–12:15 pm | Panel Session 2 12:20 pm–2:00 pm | Business Luncheon EXPO 2017: Future Energy and Clean Power Kazakhstan and U.S.: New Partners in WTO

MODERATOR MODERATOR

Mr. Dan Poneman, President and CEO, Centrus Mr. Daniel Witt, President, International Tax and Investment Center

SPEAKERS

Mr. Yerbol Shormanov, Deputy Chairman, SPEAKERS

National Company “Astana EXPO 2017” Her Excellency Zhanar Aitzhanova, Minister of Economic Integration, Kazakhstan

Mr. Prabhakar Nair, Executive Vice President Business Development Asia, LanzaTech The Honorable Bruce H. Andrews,

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Mr. Maksat Tuzelbayev, Advisor, Samruk Energy JSC Ms. Marcia Favale-Tarter, Independent Board

Member, Kazakhstan Development Bank

The 2nd Kazakhstan-U.S. Convention, Working Together for a Secure Future, December 10, 2014, Washington, DC.

10 | Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program

Zhanar AitzhanovaMinister for Economic Integration of Kazakhstan

Zhanar Aitzhanova was appointed Minister for Economic Integration in April 2011. She

has been the country’s chief negotiator for Kazakhstan’s WTO accession since 2005.

Ms. Aitzhanova served as Minister of Economic Development and Trade from 2010

to 2011 and Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade from 2003 to 2010.

Prior to her work in the government, Aitzhanova held several positions with the United Nations. She

was Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Kazakhstan from 1993 to 1996 and Assistant

to the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Mongolia from 1997 to 1999. From 1999

to 2002, Aitzhanova served as Programme Coordinator at the Regional Bureau for Europe and the

Commonwealth of Independent States in New York.

In 1991–1992, Aitzhanova was a visiting fellow at the Central European University in Prague. She was

a research assistant at the Kazakh State University in Almaty and Moscow State University in 1989–1990.

Ms. Aitzhanova is a graduate of the School of History of the Kazakh State University (1988) and the

Joint Vienna Institute (1997). She received an M.P.A. from the Kennedy School of Government at

Harvard University in 2003. She is fluent in English and Czech.

The Honorable Bruce H. AndrewsU.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce

Bruce Andrews was confirmed as the Deputy Secretary of Commerce on July 24,

2014. Andrews was named Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce by President

Obama and Secretary Penny Pritzker on June 9, 2014. Prior to this, Andrews served

as Chief of Staff to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, a post which

he began in October 2011.

Prior to joining Commerce, Andrews served as General Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on

Commerce, Science and Transportation, where he served as the chief counsel for the Committee and was

responsible for policy, legal and jurisdiction issues. Before joining the Committee staff, Andrews served

as Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the Ford Motor Company, where he oversaw the company’s

federal and state government affairs. Prior to joining Ford, Andrews practiced law as an attorney in the

Public Policy and Telecommunications Groups at Arnold & Porter. He was also a founding member of the

firm Quinn Gillespie & Associates (QGA), where he worked with clients on a variety of issues related to

transportation, technology, judiciary, telecommunications and financial services. Andrews began his career

on Capitol Hill where he served as Legislative Director for Representative Tim Holden (D-PA), Legislative

Assistant for Representative Gus Yatron (D-PA) and on the staff of Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA).

Andrews, a Syracuse, New York native, is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center

and Haverford College. He, his wife and children live in Washington, DC.

Speakers

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 11

Congressman Don Bonker

Don Bonker, former U.S. congressman, is a member of APCO Worldwide’s

International Advisory Council and an executive director at APCO. He is a leading

authority on international trade and investment and foreign policy issues.

Congressman Bonker previously served as president of the International Management

and Development Institute, a nonprofit educational organization that convened policy

sessions throughout Europe, bringing together corporate leaders and senior U.S. officials to discuss

transatlantic issues. Prior to that, he served as chairman of the Parliament Human Rights Foundation

(1992 to 1997); chairman of the Rhodes Scholarship Trust for the State of Washington (1989 to 1991);

and a member of the Columbia Gorge Commission (2009 to present).

At APCO, the former congressman’s expertise lies in trade and investment issues (including CFIUS),

particularly in Russia, Europe and Asia; he specializes in Chinese investments in the United States.

Prior to joining APCO in 1989, Congressman Bonker served for 14 years in the U.S. Congress

representing the State of Washington. He was a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee

and chairman of the Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade. Congressman Bonker

served on the president’s Export Council and headed former House Speaker Tip O’Neill’s Trade

Task Force, which led to passage of the 1988 Omnibus Trade Act. During his tenure in Congress,

Congressman Bonker authored and was a principal sponsor of significant trade legislation, such

as the Export Trading Company Act and the Export Administration Act.

Congressman Bonker is author of America’s Trade Crisis, and his articles on trade and investment

have appeared in many publications, including China Daily USA and Caijing Magazine.

Yeshaya Elazar CohenChief Rabbi of Kazakhstan

In 1993, Yeshaya Elazar Cohen was an assistant to the rabbi of the Grand Choral

synagogue in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since 1994, he has been Chief Rabbi of the

Republic of Kazakhstan and Chief Emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe to Kazakhstan.

He is a member of the National Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, chairman of

the Eurasian Rabbinical Conference, and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Institute on Religion

and Public Policy, Washington, DC.

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Speakers CONTINUED

Brien DesiletsManaging Director, Claret Consulting

Brien Desilets is a Strategic and Financial Advisor with more than 15 years of experience

in economics, finance and international development. He founded Claret Consulting

in 2007 and has since grown it into a global financial advisory and consulting firm

with a particular focus on public and infrastructure finance including Public-Private

Partnerships (P3). He has worked in Kazakhstan since 1999 for a number of clients including the World

Bank, EBRD and the private sector.

Terence W. DittrichGlobal Sales Director, Spancrete Global Services, Inc.

Terry Dittrich currently serves as the Global Sales Director for Spancrete Global

Services, Inc., a division of The Spancrete Group in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

He joined Spancrete in 2001. Terry oversees all global sales and marketing of

Spancrete’s precast concrete production systems and technology. Terry has

extensive business experience in the CIS countries and has travelled throughout Kazakhstan and

the region many times over the last four years. Currently, Terry also serves on a number of international

Boards including the U.S. Department of Commerce District Export Council in Wisconsin, the

Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce Global Council, The State of Wisconsin Economic

Development Corporation International Advisory Group and in 2004 was appointed by the Bush

Administration to the U.S. Department of Commerce Industry Advisory Council in Washington, DC,

where he still currently serves. He holds an undergraduate degree in International Economics from

Boston University and his graduate degree in International Economic Policy from The American

University, School of International Service (SIS) in Washington, DC.

David DollarSenior Fellow, Brookings Institution

David Dollar is a senior fellow with the Foreign Policy and Global Economy and

Development programs in the John L. Thornton China Center, Brookings Institution.

He is a leading expert on China’s economy and U.S.-China economic relations. From

2009 to 2013 he was the U.S. Treasury’s economic and financial emissary to China.

Previously, he worked at the World Bank for 20 years, and from 2004 to 2009, was country director for

China and Mongolia. His other World Bank assignments primarily focused on Asian economies, including

South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Bangladesh, and India. From 1995 to 2004, Dollar worked

in the World Bank’s research department. Prior to his World Bank career, Dollar was an assistant professor

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 13

of economics at University of California Los Angeles, spending a semester in Beijing teaching at the

Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He has a doctorate in economics from

New York University and a bachelor’s in Chinese history and language from Dartmouth College. He

has written extensively about economic reform in China, globalization, and economic growth.

Marcia E. C. Favale-Tarter Independent Board Member of the Development Bank of Kazakhstan

Dr. Erlan Karin

Director, Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan

Dr. Erlan Karin is the Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies

under the President of Kazakhstan. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Karin served

as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Center for Security Programs.

In 2013–2014, he was a Visiting Professor at American University in Washington,

DC. Before that he worked as the Secretary of the Nur Otan National Democratic Party for Strategic Development from 2008 to 2013. In 2008, Dr. Karin was the head of the Domestic Policy Department at the Administration of the President of Kazakhstan. Dr. Karin is a graduate of the School of History of the Zhubanov Aktobe State University and the School of Philosophy and Political Science of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

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Speakers CONTINUED

Prabhakar NairExecutive Vice President, Business Development Asia, LanzaTech

Prabhakar Nair is LanzaTech’s VP for Global Business Development. He joined

LanzaTech in 2010 after having served 30 years at UOP LLC, a Honeywell company.

In his current role, Prabhakar leads LanzaTech’s technology commercialization efforts

globally that include market development strategies, negotiation and execution of

technology transfer agreements, developing and managing key strategic partnerships. During his UOP

career, Prabhakar served in a variety of roles including process development, technical services and

in sales & marketing. Mr. Nair also spent a considerable portion of his career on Asian assignments in

Indonesia, Singapore, Korea, China and India. He holds a BChE from City University of NY, an MChE

from Illinois Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Northwestern University in Illinois.

Dan PonemanPresident and Chief Executive Officer of Centrus Energy Corp.

From 2009 to 2014, Mr. Poneman was the Deputy Secretary of Energy, also serving

as the chief operating officer of the U.S. Department of Energy. His responsibilities

spanned the range of U.S. energy policies and programs—hydrocarbons, renewables,

nuclear, and efficiency—including cyber security, project management, national

security, and international cooperation. He was also responsible for the Department’s efforts on

resilience and emergency response, in cases ranging from Fukushima to Hurricane Sandy. Between

April 23, 2013, and May 21, 2013, Mr. Poneman served as Acting Secretary of Energy.

Dr. Nansen G. SaleriPresident, CEO, and co-founder of QRI

Quantum Reservoir Impact has been a unique value-creation enterprise in the upstream

oil and gas industry since 2007. Dr. Nansen G. Saleri is considered one of the industry’s

preeminent authorities in reservoir management for his pioneering ideas in maximizing

hydrocarbon recoveries, and he currently holds three U.S. patents.

As the former Head of Reservoir Management for Saudi Aramco for nearly a decade, Dr. Saleri led efforts

toward establishing reservoir management metrics and launching its massive gas expansion program. He

played a pivotal part in the company’s technological ascendancy in its upstream capabilities, specifically

in the area of modern reservoir management and ‘smart’ technologies. Dr. Saleri was chief architect of the

company’s hugely successful optimization programs, most notably for Ghawar, the world’s largest field.

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 15

S. Frederick Starr, Ph.D.Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center

S. Frederick Starr, Ph.D., is the founding chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus

Institute and Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center, and a Research Professor at

the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.

His research on the countries of Greater Central Asia, their history, development, internal dynamics,

as well as on U.S. policy towards the region has resulted in 22 books and 200 published articles. His most

recent book is Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia’s Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane,

published by Princeton University Press in 2013.

Tom StepienChief Executive Officer, Primus Power

Tom Stepien is CEO of Primus Power, a leader in grid-scale electrical energy

storage. He helped launch Primus Power in 2009 and has raised over $80 million

from venture capital sources, strategic investors and government grants. He has

over 30 years of engineering, operations and general management experience

at small and large companies.

Prior to joining Primus, Tom was a Vice President and General Manager at Applied Materials,

a Fortune 500 provider of semiconductor, solar and flat panel display equipment and services.

He had P&L responsibility for a $500M business unit with a complex set of systems, global

customers, manufacturing and support.

He has expertise in software, industrial robotics and control systems having led efforts at Applied,

Novellus Systems and Draper Laboratory. He holds a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from

MIT where he was a Pi Tau Sigma, Bendix and Alpha Tau Omega Scholar. He currently serves on

the industrial advisory board for MIT’s Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity.

Ambassador William B. TaylorExecutive Vice President, United States Institute of Peace

Ambassador Taylor was the special coordinator for Middle East Transitions in the

U.S. State Department. He oversaw assistance and support to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya

and Syria. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009. He also

served as the U.S. government’s representative to the Mideast Quartet. He served

in Baghdad as the first director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office from 2004 to 2005,

and in Kabul as coordinator of international and U.S. assistance to Afghanistan from 2002 to 2003.

16 | Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program

Speakers CONTINUED

The Honorable Kurt TongU.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs

Kurt Tong has served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of

Economic and Business Affairs at the Department of State since July 2014. Before

joining the Bureau, Mr. Tong served for three years as the Deputy Chief of Mission

in Tokyo, Japan. Prior to his time in Tokyo, he was the U.S. Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Economic

Cooperation (APEC), managing all aspects of U.S. participation in APEC, while concurrently serving as

the Economic Coordinator for the State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, organizing

bureau-wide efforts on economic policy. Mr. Tong has been an economic affairs diplomat for the State

Department since 1990, including service as Director for Asian Economic Affairs at the National Security

Council from 2006 to 2008 and as Economic Minister-Counselor in Seoul from 2003 to 2006. Prior to

that, he was Counselor for Environment, Science and Health in Beijing and served as Deputy Treasury

Attaché in Tokyo and as an economic officer in Manila. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he was an

Associate with the Boston Consulting Group in Tokyo.

Celeste A. WallanderSpecial Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia on the National Security Council Staff

Dr. Celeste A. Wallander served in the Office of International Security Affairs (ISA) as

the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia from May 2009

to July 2012, where she was the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on all

defense and policy matters as they pertain to Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, including the Western Balkans.

From February 2007 through November 2008, she was an advisor on the Obama for America foreign

policy campaign team.

Daniel WittPresident, the International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC)

Daniel A. Witt is President of the International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC),

an independent, nonprofit research and educational organization founded in 1993

to promote tax reform and public-private initiatives to improve the investment climate

in transition and developing countries. Mr. Witt has been working to promote free

markets and helping to lower the barriers to tax, trade, and investment in transition economies for

nearly 30 years. The Republic of Kazakhstan has recognized Mr. Witt for his contribution to economic

development. In 1999, he was elected an Honorary Professor of Economics at the Kazakh State

Academy of Management. In 2011, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev presented Mr. Witt with

the Order of Dostyk (Friendship), the highest honor bestowed to a foreigner. Mr. Witt received a BBA

(magna cum laude) in public administration and an MBA in finance from Western Michigan University.

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 17

Erlan Idrissov Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

Mark Meadows, R-NC Congressman

Dana Rohrabacher, R-CA Congressman

Steve Israel, D-NY Congressman

Rose Gottemoeller Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, U.S. Department of State

Kelly Ayotte, R-NH Senator

Catherine Novelli Under Secretary of State,U.S. Department of State

Daniel Poneman former Deputy Secretary of Energy

Jerry Nichols Co-Founder, Allen Global Companies

Billy Long, R-MO Congressman

Madeleine Albright former Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State

TIM

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Past Speakers, 2013–2014

18 | Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program

Remarks from Past Speakers

… I have every confidence that our partnership will only grow

and deepen in the future, in large measure thanks to the joint

work and commitment of those in this room today. So I thank

you all very much for being here and for this meeting. And I look

forward to many more meetings like this with you and to have

an opportunity to continue this discussion.

The Honorable Madeleine Albright

former Secretary of State

Kazakhstan is the future Center of the Universe. And let’s think

about it in a number of ways. First of all, let’s note that Kazakhstan

is a country with a very diverse society. A great many different

groups of people live in Kazakhstan, and much like the United

States, have come together to live as one people. There are

Muslims, Christians, and Jews living together in peace, showing

the world that there is a way this can be done.

They are now developing a transportation system that will send a plane to the edge of space

in Kazakhstan and land here in Washington within an hour. That’s the kind of world they are

building, where Kazakhstan is the Center of the Universe. They will be the hub for this new type

of transportation and energy production.

I have visited a lot of countries over my 26 years as a member of the House Foreign Affairs

Committee, and there is no country that I visited that impressed me more than Kazakhstan.

I’m very pleased to work with you … to make this better world together.

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)

To my colleagues and also the other guests who have not visited

Kazakhstan, let me cordially introduce you: It is a beautiful country,

a country that really has so much to offer, and I think surely will.

Invest the time to go there, have a chance to see what is going

on, see why that country is an example to the rest of the world.

So again, on behalf of the friends of the Kazakhstan Caucus, I’m

looking forward to working with you and looking to build a stronger

relationship between the United States and Kazakhstan.

Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL)

Kazakhstan-United States Convention 2015 Program | 19

I’m very proud the United States was the first nation in

the world that recognized Kazakhstan’s independence.

And we’ve built on that recognition; everything in terms

of trade, investment, human rights, education, democracy,

and transnational threats. Of the many decisions that

I have made as a member of Congress, I would say the

best was joining the Kazakhstan Caucus.

Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY)

I witnessed willingness from Kazakhstan’s government to

develop its industries and businesses. My congressional district

has made direct contact with Kazakhstan officials to explore

opportunities and new ventures. The two countries share a

strategic interest in the area of regional security … I thank its

government and its people for their dedication in this area and

look forward to building on these efforts.

Congressman Joe Pitts (R-PA)

Fifty-five percent of the world’s GDP is now in the emerging

markets. There are a number of countries that are very

attractive for emerging market investments. One of them

is Kazakhstan. It’s getting a pro-capitalist orientation …

It is welcoming for foreign investors.

David M. Rubenstein

Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Carlyle Group

For more photos from the 2nd Kazakhstan-US Convention, go to our Flickr: kzembassyusa

Organized by

STRATEGIC PARTNER SPONSOR

GOLD SPONSORS

SUPPORTED BY

SILVER SPONSORS

Astana EXPO 2017, Future Energy

Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan1401 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036

(202) 232 5488

washington@kazakhembus.comwww.kazakhembus.comtwitter.com/KazakhEmbassy

The event will be live tweeted, using the hashtag #KZUS.

Kazakhstan-United States Convention

The Third Annual