ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 2. The United Kingdom is one of Kazakhstan’s key trading partners and the largest investor in its economy, with a total volume of direct foreign investments exceeding $22 billion, said Alibek Kuantyrov in his speech at the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UK in London, Trend reports.
The meeting was attended by Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Magzhan Ilyassov, the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Kathy Leach, as well as representatives of relevant ministries, national companies, and the quasi-public sector of both countries. The British side was headed by Douglas Alexander, the Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security at the UK’s Department for Business and Trade.
The parties noted that the signing of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom last year opened new opportunities for deeper interaction, including in the areas of critical minerals, green energy and climate, transportation and logistics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, education, and financial partnership.
“We highly appreciate the contribution of the United Kingdom to the development of key sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy and aim to establish a new level of partnership, with a focus on investments, technologies, and the transfer of competencies,” noted Kuantyrov in his speech.
As part of the event, bilateral documents were signed, including the Protocol of the Intergovernmental Commission, a Roadmap for Cooperation in the field of agriculture, as well as memorandums on cooperation in water resources and on the localization of biopharmaceuticals in Kazakhstan in collaboration with AstraZeneca.
The Intergovernmental Commission remains a key mechanism for trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom, ensuring a systematic approach to implementing agreed-upon commitments and forming new areas for strategic interaction.
