His Excellency Erzhan Kazykhanov, Kazakhstani ambassador to the U.S., is an experienced diplomat, having served as ambassador to the UK and Austria, as well as assistant to the president, deputy minister and minister of foreign affairs, and permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna and the UN in New York. Kazykhanov received a bachelor’s degree in Oriental studies from Saint Petersburg State University and a PhD in history from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. He is the author of numerous articles on Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, economic diplomacy, multilateralism, and the role of the United Nations and speaks Russian, English, and Arabic. Kazykhanov and his wife are the parents of two children.