BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 5. Kazakhstan is considering an investigation into the activities of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Central Asia, Trend reports.
The proposal was made by Kazakhstani parliament member Maharram Maharramov.
"Recently, we’ve been hearing more and more shocking details about USAID. In an official White House statement, it was claimed that USAID has been funding, and I quote, 'harmful' projects for decades. Public figures like Elon Musk and even former President Donald Trump have called USAID a criminal organization run by radical extremists. The White House specifically stated that USAID has consistently failed to be accountable to taxpayers, directing large amounts of money to absurd and damaging projects," he said.
Maharramov has addressed a parliamentary request to Kazakhstan’s Ministers of Justice and Economics, urging them to carry out an audit and release all reports on the financial resources provided by foreign sponsors, detailing who receives the funds and how they are spent.
"There’s significant public demand for this, and it’s growing. We also believe it’s important for the Ministry of Justice—and the government as a whole—to draft legislation that would ensure the protection and mental, emotional, and physical safety of our children from such harmful sponsored projects," the MP added.
Meanwhile, the official USAID website is currently down. The Trump administration is considering the possibility of stripping USAID of its independent status and integrating the agency into the State Department. If this happens, it would reduce USAID’s autonomy in managing international aid programs.