On April 6, 2016, the Kazakhstan – United States Energy Partnership Commission held a meeting at the Energy Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, co-chaired by Energy Minister K.A. Bosumbayev and Secretary of Energy, Dr. Ernest Moniz.

The Republic of Kazakhstan was represented at the session by officials from the Energy Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, Kazatomprom, Kazenergy Association, KazMunaiGas, Samruk-Energy, EXPO-2017, the National Nuclear Center, and the Nuclear Physics Institute.

Also present were representatives of the United States Department of Energy, the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan, and the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The session was held as a follow-up to the 11th session of the Commission held in 2015, and included the ceremonial signing of a joint statement of the Kazakhstan-United States Energy Partnership Commission.

In 2015, at the 11th session of the Special Commission on the Energy Partnership (SCEP), expert discussions were held on the following topics: nuclear security and nuclear energy, alternative energy and electricity, energy conservation and increasing energy efficiency.

Also during the past year, experts of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Department of Energy of the United States held bilateral discussions on international carbon sequestration and use of clean technologies.

After the two ministers signed the agreement, they discussed the 2016 work plan, which encourages the use of alternative energy sources in Kazakhstan, reduces emissions, and enhances nuclear safety.

Notably, within the framework of the SCEP, concrete targets have been reached in cooperation in the field of conversion of Kazakhstan’s research reactors and enforcement of physical nuclear security.