In this issue
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Kazakhstan’s Monument of Independence Rises in DC
President Nursultan Nazarbayev, visiting Washington for official talks with President George W. Bush and U.S. officials, unveiled the Monument of Independence of Kazakhstan in the American capital on September 28, 2006. A group of more than 200 guests shared the moment, including U.S. Secretary of Energy Sam Bodman.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the United
States Kanat Saudabayev opened the
ceremony, saying “This truly historic event is
new evidence of the growing relationship
based on true friendship and strategic
partnership between our two countries.”
In his remarks, President Nazarbayev said,
“Today is an especially emotional day in the
Kazakhstan-United States relationship. For
the first time, we are unveiling the Monument
of Independence of Kazakhstan abroad. We
are proud that this monument, an emblem of
a newly sovereign Kazakhstan, rises in the
capital city of the United States, a country
whose name is synonymous with freedom.
We are allies with the United States in the
war on terrorism. Soldiers from both our
nations fight for Iraq’s future shoulder to
shoulder. I am certain the sacrifices we make
for freedom will not be in vain. America must
be confident that in far away Central Asia it
has a reliable partner and true ally.
Let this beautiful monument, symbolizing our
people’s aspirations of freedom and
independence, be a vivid evidence that
Kazakhstan and the United States are bound
together by friendship and strategic
partnership based on common values.”
Energy Secretary Bodman, representing the
U.S. administration at the ceremony, said,
“Our shared desire for self-government,
political and economic freedom makes our
nations allies and our people friends. Together,
our alliance has led to a fruitful cooperation
on some of the most critical issues facing
mankind, including the pursuit of lasting
energy security and the global effort to keep
nuclear materials out of the hands of those
who would use them in a harmful way.”
The monument, standing 13 feet high, is cast
in bronze and depicts a young warrior astride
a winged snow leopard.
The monument embodies the spirit of an archaeological find in Kazakhstan from the fourth century B.C. The “Saka” nomadic civilization existed in Kazakhstan at that time, leaving behind very vivid artifacts. Commonly known as the Golden Warrior Prince, this figure, found near Almaty in 1970, is perhaps the best known symbol of Kazakhstan’s long history and rebirth as a modern nation.
The Golden Warrior Prince, riding a winged snow leopard, a native of Kazakhstan, has become a symbol of the country’s leap to the future. There are “Asian tigers,” and Kazakhstan has become a “Central Asian snow leopard.”
Independent since 1991, Kazakhstan is the world’s 9th largest country with the population of 15.2 million. As a successful model of political and economic evolution, Kazakhstan is one of the most dynamically developing countries in the world. Its GDP already exceeds the combined output of all other Central Asian economies.
The U.S. was the first to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence, and the relationship has grown steadily since then. Today’s White House meeting between Presidents Nazarbayev and Bush is indication of the enduring strength of that relationship and will expand opportunities for cooperation.
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News Bulletin of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the USA and Canada
(Compiled from own sources and agency reports)
Contact person: Roman Vassilenko
1401 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20036
Tel.: 202 232 5488, ext. 104, Fax: 202 232 5845
Vol. 6, No. 35
