U.S. President George W. Bush and Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev discuss regional security issues.

he space that Kazakhstan occupies in Central Asia is pivotal to U.S. interests. This was certainly the case in 1991, when Kazakhstan was one of four ex-Soviet republics to inherit strategic nuclear weapons. It is also the case post 9/11, as Kazakhstan acts as a politically stable buffer against Islamist extremism. The economic ascendance of China and the old-style dirigism out of Moscow make it a natural ally of the U.S.

More than $8 billion of U.S. investments have poured into Kazakhstan since it declared its independence. The country inspires confidence and will soon become a commercial bridge between Europe and Asia. However, despite vast progress, there is margin for criticism. Before the presidential poll last December, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asked that elections be “free and fair”. President Nazarbayev obtained 91 percent of the vote.

In terms of nuclear non-proliferation, Kazakhstan is on par with the U.S. In 1991, it transferred half a ton of weapons-grade uranium to secure sites. Today, it is partner of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), chaired by former senator Sam Nunn. Kazatomprom, which works closely with the U.S. Congress, is the only facility in the world with onsite leaching for uranium. This means it can quickly apply downward pressure on prices in the event of a uranium shortage. “Our production increase is geared towards the American market,” says the CEO, Moukhtar Dzhakishev.

A reliable energy partner, oil output is projected to reach 3.5 million barrels per day in 2015. Chevron and ExxonMobil are the largest U.S. investors. Energy Minister Vladimir Shkolnik said Kazakhstan had the resources to stabilize the global price of oil, but more investment is needed to boost export infrastructure. “We need to improve our ability to move oil from the Caspian Sea to world markets,” he said.