KAZAKHSTAN –THE US RELATIONSHIP AFTER THE 9/11 ATTACK

Since the country's independence, Kazakhstan and the United States have been sharing close ties. The US was the first country that immediately recognized Kazakhstan as a sovereign and independent country on December 25, 1991, the next day both countries established diplomatic relations. Since then energy and security issues have been a cornerstone of their bilateral relations. Nuclear disarmament policy of Kazakhstan played a significant role in Kazakh- US relations. Both countries have been enjoying a wide range of issues including political, economic (trade and energy sector), military and humanitarian cooperation. Kazakhstan is a landlocked country, bordering with Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan and sharing a border with a large part of the Caspian Sea. In the security realm, Kazakhstan attracted towards the US, because it is geographically far from the country, hence, it prioritized the United States in its foreign policy and security assistance program. Energy and trade is another area of their deep relationship. Kazakhstan contains huge oil and natural gas reserves. The 9/11 incident of the terrorist attack on the US has changed world politics and global balance in international politics and the cooperation between the two countries have strengthened.

This study will try to examine the Kazak-US relations since 2001 and its impact not only upon the two countries but also the whole international system, which is increasingly becoming more interdependent. The study focuses on the US assistance to Kazakh to improve its border security issue, because boundary plays an important role in the security of any country. Kazakhstan's borders are suffering to numerous threats, including illegal narcotics smuggling, arms trafficking, WMD materials and militants transiting through its territory, which has facilitated and internationalized its search for foreign assistance.

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