On November 2, 2015, John Kerry visited Astana, where he launched the fourth SPD. The sides discussed the conflict in eastern Ukraine, underscoring their support for the Minsk process. Both sides pledged to deepen their cooperation in countering the threats of ISIL, terrorism, and violent extremism. The next session of the fourth Strategic Partnership Dialogue was held in Washington, D.C. on March 9, 2016, and covered a range of issues including: international and regional affairs, security cooperation, economic cooperation, governance, rule of law and labor and human rights in Kazakhstan.