Rice: U.S. not trying to poach Kazakhstan

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday the United States is not attempting to poach Kazakhstan away from Russia.

After meeting with Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin, Rice dismissed accusations that the U.S. government has begun targeting Russian allies for diplomatic relations.

Rice said while Kazakhstan may be a Russian ally, the country is not part of Russia's so-called sphere of influence.

"First of all, Kazakhstan is an independent country. It can have friendships with whomever it wishes, and I think Kazakhstan has wished to have friendships and relationships with all of its neighbors," Rice said. "And that is, I think, perfectly acceptable in the 21st century, so we don't see and don't accept any notion of a special sphere of influence."

Tazhin said while tensions are building between Russian and the international community, Kazakhstan had long enjoyed a ties with the United States.

"At the same time, I should underline that our relationship with the United States has stable, has strategic character," he said. "And in 2006, during meetings of president of United States and president of Kazakhstan, it was very openly stated that our two countries have stable and strategic relationship."