President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received the credentials of the newly appointed ambassadors of the United States and Bulgaria during a Jan. 9 ceremony at Akorda.
From L to R: Julie Stufft, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Georgi Vodenski. Photo credit: akorda.kz
Speaking about Kazakh-American relations, Tokayev underscored the importance of his visit to Washington, D.C., in November.
“We had a friendly and at the same time substantive conversation with President Donald Trump. Recently, we had a productive telephone call on many issues related to bilateral cooperation. I am grateful for the invitation to attend the G20 Summit, which will be held in the United States at the end of this year. We will do our best to build on the momentum and enhance our strategic partnership in many areas,” Tokayev said.
Commenting on the start of her diplomatic mission, U.S. Ambassador Julie Stufft highlighted the long-standing partnership between the two countries.
Julie M. Stufft was confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan on Oct. 7, 2025. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of minister-counselor, she most recently served as deputy assistant to the president and executive secretary of the National Security Council. Photo credit: akorda.kz
“The United States is proud to have been the first country to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence. In our almost 35 years of partnership, we have shared the goals of creating a safe and prosperous world and upholding the principles of mutual respect, friendship, and shared interests,” she said.
“We remain dedicated to supporting Kazakhstan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, to strengthening our commercial partnerships, and to broadening the connections between our peoples in the years to come at a time when our bilateral ties have never been stronger,” she said.
She expressed U.S. support for Kazakhstan’s agenda of political and economic reforms. “The United States stands ready to cooperate on these reforms as part of an enhanced strategic partnership and to the benefit of the people of Kazakhstan and the United States,” she added.
Georgi Vodenski is a career diplomat. He previously headed the Consular Relations Directorate at Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo credit: akorda.kz
Tokayev also received the credentials of Bulgaria’s Ambassador Georgi Vodenski and conveyed greetings to Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, noting that Radev’s visit to Kazakhstan last year gave new momentum to bilateral ties.
“We are very much committed to further enhance cooperation with your great country. We’ll be doing our utmost to enrich the scale of our mutual cooperation both in political and economic domains,” Tokayev said.
