US deepens Central Asia ties, signing new investment deals

Euronews · Feb 21, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Published on 21/02/2026 - 8:50 GMT+1 The United States is pursuing economic partnerships with Central Asian nations as Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars with US companies during a visit to Washington. On the sidelines of the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in the US capital on Thursday, Tokayev met with US companies and welcomed new agreements. Among them was the investment agreement between the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry and Mars company for $180 million (€152.7 million) to build a pet food production plant in the city of Alatau. With Boeing Executive Vice President Jeff Shockey, Tokayev discussed the delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Kazakhstan, expected in the second half of 2026. Ordered by Air Astana, the planes will be used for establishing a direct transatlantic connection between the two countries. Kazakh SCAT Airlines also plans to purchase additional Boeing aircraft and to explore the possibility of opening a joint maintenance and repair centre at its headquarters at Shymkent Airport. Shockey also discussed cargo transportation potential and the training of aviation specialists. Ashmore Group plans to construct the Ashmore Healthcare International clinic in Kazakhstan with the help of Samruk Kazyna Invest and Mount Sinai Health System. Tokayev also discussed investment cooperation in mining and transport with the US International Development Finance Corporation. Pledging help to Gaza in Board of Peace session Tokayev’s initial reason for travel was the inaugural meeting of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, where member and observer countries adopted the organisation’s strategic vision. During his speech, Tokayev pledged substantial financial aid, which will be directed toward the reconstruction of Gaza. Trump earlier noted that Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Morocco, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait collectively contributed over $7 billion toward relief in the Middle East. Kazakhstan was also among the first five countries to contribute troops to the policing of Gaza. The country also promised to provide humanitarian assistance, wheat, scholarships for Palestinian students, as well as further initiatives.