Kazakhstan will not sacrifice ties with Russia for U.S. relations — central bank chief

Kazakhstan is not sacrificing its friendship with Russia to strengthen ties with the United States, National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov said.

“There can be no friendship at the expense of other friends. We are a diversified country, and we must remain so. But we will by no means forget our allies or our commitments within the Eurasian Economic Union,” Suleimenov told RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington.

He was responding to a question on whether Kazakhstan’s efforts to deepen relations with the United States might come at the cost of its partnership with Moscow.

“I actually hope for universal friendship. And I believe there’s reason to think that’s possible, if negotiations continue at the current pace and direction,” he added.