U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told journalists in Kazakhstan October 29 that the primary purpose of his visit was to thank the government and people of Kazakhstan for their support in Afghanistan and Iraq.U.S.-Kazakh relations, the U.S. presidential election, the regional situation, and the development of democracy, sovereignty and a market economy in Kazakhstan were also major topics of discussion, said Armitage after his meeting with President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana.When asked what effect the outcome of the U.S. presidential election might have on U.S.-Kazakh relations, Armitage replied that the U.S. interest \"in a free, open, sovereign, democratic, strong Kazakhstan would remain the same, no matter who wins the U.S. presidential election.\" (usinfo.state.gov)