// Tokayev
The visit of Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the USA opened new horizons for negotiations with leading global companies and financial institutions focused on long-term investments, localization of production, and the integration of Kazakhstan into international supply chains.
One of the significant outcomes of this visit was the signing of an investment agreement worth approximately $180 million between the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and Mars, Incorporated. This company has plans to build a pet food manufacturing plant in Alatau, aimed at deep processing of agricultural raw materials and creating high value-added products.
Mars CEO Paul Veitch emphasized that the new factory in Kazakhstan will serve as a foundation for expanding the company's presence in Central Asia and neighboring regions.
A separate round of negotiations dedicated to healthcare also took place during the visit. Discussions with Ashmore Group considered a proposal to establish an international clinic in collaboration with Ashmore Healthcare International and Samruk-Kazyna Invest, involving Mount Sinai Health System as the operator.
This initiative fully aligns with Kazakhstan's strategy to improve medical infrastructure and develop medical tourism, as well as the "Open Investment Partnership" program aimed at high-tech sectors of the economy.
Additionally, aviation became an important topic of the visit. In a meeting with representatives of Boeing, Tokayev confirmed the interest of Kazakh airlines Air Astana, SCAT Airlines, and VietJet Kazakhstan in expanding cooperation.
Air Astana plans to acquire Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in the second half of 2026, which could lead to the opening of direct flights between Kazakhstan and the USA. At the same time, the airline is exploring the possibility of acquiring additional aircraft and establishing its first maintenance and repair center at Shymkent Airport in partnership with an American firm.
At the conclusion of the visit, negotiations were held with representatives of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). DFC CEO Ben Black noted that Washington views Kazakhstan as an important partner in Eurasia. Discussions focused on projects in the mining sector and the development of transport and transit infrastructure, which is critically important for regional and interregional trade.
According to the UNCTAD report on global investments for 2025, Kazakhstan ranks first in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) volume in Central Asia. In 2024, the volume of attracted FDI amounted to about $151 billion, significantly exceeding the figures of other countries in the region, such as Turkmenistan (about $45 billion), Uzbekistan (about $17 billion), as well as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (about $4 billion each).
The visit to Washington demonstrated that Kazakhstan is focused on creating long-term institutional partnerships, not just on concluding individual investment agreements, which should strengthen international investors' confidence in the stability and openness of the Kazakh market.
