Kazykhanov and Clinton discuss Kazakh democratic development

    Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exchanged viewpoints on the democratic development process underway in Kazakhstan.
    Their talks were held during the first official visit on part of Yerzhan Kazykhanov as minister of foreign affairs to the United States.
    The two sides noted that the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan as of 15 January 2012, which resulted in the formation of a multiparty parliament, were a step forward in the country’s political development.
    The U.S. side of the talks praised the decision of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to conduct elections in Zhanaozen and to hold a fair and transparent inquiry into the tragic events that recently occurred in this town.
    In order to facilitate official, business, private, student and tourist travel between the two countries, the parties to the negotiations reached an principle agreement on the exchange of diplomatic notes regarding 5-year visas and visa fee unification.
    Kazykhanov and Clinton expressed satisfaction with the prospects for the further expansion of scientific-technical cooperation between the two nations’ universities and research institutions, Kazinform said.