Erzhan Kazykhanov

Erzhan Kazykhanov, later styled Erzhan Kazykhan, studied Oriental studies in Saint Petersburg and earned a doctorate in history at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. His foreign service career included work at the United Nations, an ambassadorship in Austria, and service as foreign minister in 2011–2012. He came to Washington after representing Kazakhstan in the United Kingdom. ^{1, 2}

During his American posting, Kazykhanov promoted both commercial relations and discussion of Kazakhstan's international role. He publicly welcomed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's creation of a U.S.-Kazakhstan Business Council in September 2020. The council absorbed the work of an earlier business association. ³

In February 2021, he participated in a George Washington University discussion marking thirty years of diplomatic relations. The embassy helped bring together former diplomats and nuclear security officials to examine the relationship's development. After Washington, he served as a presidential special envoy and foreign affairs adviser; in November 2025 he was appointed permanent representative to the United Nations offices and other international organizations in Geneva. ^{1, 2}