Donald Rumsfeld, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, has traveled to Kazakhstan for a one-day visit to discuss regional security issues with Nursultan Nazarbayev. Mr. Rumsfeld arrived in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, after a brief trip to Turkmenistan. In Turkmenistan, Mr. Rumsfeld thanked the government for its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. During this visit, the U.S. Secretary of Defense also discussed Turkmenistan's participation in NATO's 'Partnership for Peace' program and technical assistance to this Central Asian country with President Saparmurat Niyazov. Mr. Rumsfeld also visited Afghanistan during his Central Asian trip and promised Hamid Karzai, the head of the interim government, that the U.S. would help rebuild the national army and continue the search for remnants of the Al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist networks. Mr. Rumsfeld is scheduled to travel to Moscow tomorrow for discussions with senior Russian officials.
Rumsfeld in Kazakhstan - April 28, 2002
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld visited Kazakhstan to discuss regional security with President Nursultan Nazarbayev. He also praised Turkmenistan for its humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and promised support for rebuilding Afghanistan's national army. This visit highlights U.S. engagement in Central Asia post-9/11.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Donald Rumsfeld visited Kazakhstan to discuss regional security with President Nazarbayev and praised Turkmenistan for its humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. He also promised support for rebuilding Afghanistan's national army.
- Rumsfeld's visit is part of a broader U.S. strategy to engage Central Asian nations post-9/11.
- The discussions included NATO's 'Partnership for Peace' program.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Post-9/11, the U.S. sought to strengthen ties with Central Asian countries to combat terrorism and stabilize Afghanistan.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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