In that time I often talked to expats who had worked in other countries as well, such as Russia or eastern and western Europe.

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Kazakhstan has huge energy reserves that are attractive to neighbouring China as well as to Europe, which is keen to reduce dependence on Russia's oil and gas.

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Both countries lie on Europe's political fault lines, bordering troubled Russia and Ukraine, as well as the still-volatile Balkans.

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It controls the Bosporus, as well as gas or oil pipeline routes that would allow Europe to become less dependent on Russia for its energy supplies.

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And if we can stabilize Europe that will be good for the United States and that will be good for Russia as well.

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