Third Annual Kazakhstan-United States Convention Program

ROAD TO THE ASTANA EXPO 2017:
Shared Prosperity and Dynamic Development
December 8, 2015
United States Institute of Peace
2301 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 Action
President 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 Dialogue
November 2, 2015

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.

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

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!

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.

HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT OF ALABAMA
In the House of Representatives, Tuesday, April 28, 2015
The 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, 2015
Kazakhstan 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, 2015
I 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

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,
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

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,
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.

Zhanar Aitzhanova
Minister 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. Andrews
U.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

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 Cohen
Chief 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.

Speakers CONTINUED
Brien Desilets
Managing 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. Dittrich
Global 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 Dollar
Senior 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

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.
Ms Favale is an Independent Board Member of the exchange listed
Development Bank of Kazakhstan. From 2009-2013, Ms Favale was an
Independent Restructuring Advisor to BTA Bank, Alliance bank, and Astana
Finance and advised the sovereign wealth fund: Samruk Kazyna on Temir
Bank and the Independent Privatization Advisor to the Prime Minister-
People’s IPO.
Ms Favale was also theSenior Advisor to the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan (2009-2013) for matters
related to the financial, oil and mining sectors: including debt restructuring, privatization and
mergers acquisitions and capital market transactions. Ms Favale is a graduate of New York
University (NYU), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Cum Laude) and is
graduate of University of Oxford where she earned Master Business Administration (MBA),
Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Financial Strategy and earned Master in Science (Msc. with
Distinction)-Major Programme Management program. She is a member of Merton College. Ms
Favale also attended Harvard Business School - Executive Education: Making Corporate Boards
More Effective Programme. Ms Favale lives in New York where she was born. She is an American
and Brazilian Citizen.

Speakers CONTINUED
Prabhakar Nair
Executive 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 Poneman
President 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. Saleri
President, 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.

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 Stepien
Chief 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 PL 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. Taylor
Executive 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.

Speakers CONTINUED
The Honorable Kurt Tong
U.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. Wallander
Special 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 Witt
President, 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.

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,
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,
TIMOTHYGREENFIELDSANDERS
Past Speakers, 2013–2014

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)

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 Kazakhstan
1401 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 232 5488
washington@kazakhembus.com
www.kazakhembus.com
twitter.com/KazakhEmbassy
The event will be live tweeted, using the hashtag #KZUS.
Kazakhstan-United States Convention
The Third Annual

Third Annual Kazakhstan-United States Convention Program

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