Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Begins Working Visit To United States

On Monday Yerlan Idrisov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, begins his working visit to the United States. His visit will last until May 5. The RIA Novosti correspondent was told at the Kazakh press service that his visit is designed to develop contacts and discuss promising areas of cooperation with the new American administration in the context of preparations for an official visit by Kazakh President Nusultan Nazarbaev to the United States in the autumn of 2001. In Washington Yerlan Idrisov will meet with Vice-President Robert Cheney, State Secretary Colin Powell, presidential national security advisor Condoleezza Rice, other top officials of the administration, as well as senators and congressmen. The Kazakh visitor is expected to come up with utterances at the American-Kazakh business association, leading political scientific centres and institutions of Washington. The Kazakh foreign minister also hopes to have meetings in New York with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.