George H.W. Bush: “Kazakhstan May 19, 1992 Well, Mr. President, distinguished members of the Kazakhstan delegation, it's been a great…”

“Kazakhstan May 19, 1992 Well, Mr. President, distinguished members of the Kazakhstan delegation, it's been a great pleasure to welcome you to the White House on this historic occasion, the first-ever visit of the head of state of an independent Kazakhstan. I have never been to your country, but Secretary Baker has. And he has spoken to me about the tremendous potential of a nation rich in resources, a nation stretching from the steppes of Russia to the Tien Shan in the south, 4 times the size of Texas. Mr. President, our meeting today marks the beginning of a new relationship, a relationship made possible by the end of the long era of East-West conflict that we called the cold war. With the passing of that bitter conflict, we enter into a new era of hope for a more democratic and free order in Eastern Europe and in Central Asia. Under your leadership, sir, Kazakhstan is pursuing a course true to these aims. Our meetings today confirm the many interests that we share. The U.S. supports your independence. We believe its security, Kazakhstan's security, is important for stability in Europe and in Asia. We welcome President Nazarbayev's commitment that Kazakhstan will join the Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear-weapons state and that it will adhere to the START Treaty. We'll continue to work toward a signing of the new START protocol by Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Byelarus, Russia, and the United States in the very near future.…”