New york: US President Donald Trump has unveiled a groundbreaking $4 billion agreement with Kazakhstan for the purchase of American locomotives and rail equipment. Trump hailed the deal as 'the largest railroad equipment purchase in history' following his phone call with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
According to Anadolu Agency, Trump took to the US social media platform Truth Social, expressing the importance of supporting the US rail industry, which he claims has faced opposition from environmentalists. He congratulated President Tokayev on securing the deal, emphasizing its significance for both nations.
On the same day, President Tokayev met with US Presidential Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gore, in New York. Tokayev congratulated Gore on his new role and assured him of Kazakhstan's support for his mission. He stressed Kazakhstan's commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with the United States and highlighted its position as a key economic partner in Central Asia.
Tokayev also engaged in discussions with Yann LeCun, Vice President of Meta and Chief Scientific Officer of the Artificial Intelligence Research Department (FAIR). The Kazakh president emphasized the nation's dedication to digitalization and artificial intelligence, outlining efforts to establish an autonomous AI ecosystem and a Kazakh large language model (KazLLM).
The talks included the launch of a joint acceleration program with Meta platforms aimed at enhancing cooperation in AI research and application. This initiative is expected to bolster Kazakhstan's technological capabilities and foster innovation.
In a related announcement, Howard Lutnick, Chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald, highlighted the Trump-Tokayev call as pivotal in securing what he termed the 'largest locomotive agreement in history.' Lutnick praised the deal as a testament to 'American innovation leading the world,' noting its potential to support jobs in Texas and Pennsylvania while enhancing connectivity through the Middle Corridor with advanced US technology.