The U.S. Department of State and Department of Energy, in coordination with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Energy, held the 2024 U.S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Energy Dialogue on July 18 in Astana. The dialogue deepened cooperation on our shared priorities of enhancing energy security, accelerating the clean energy transition and methane mitigation, and developing Kazakhstan’s critical minerals sector. Deputy Assistant Secretary Kimberly Harrington from the Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources and Deputy Assistant Secretary Joshua Volz from the Department of Energy’s Office of International Affairs co-led the U.S. delegation. U.S. and Kazakh energy and international affairs experts discussed progress and planned activities under six lines of effort: greenhouse gas emissions reduction, sustainable critical materials mining and refining, civil nuclear cooperation, renewable energy sources, energy security, and global nuclear security. The U.S. Department of State also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kazakh National Geological Survey and National Mining Company Tau-Ken Samruk to expand and diversify critical minerals supply chains.
