BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 9. The UK expects the OneWeb ground station (station for transmitting and receiving signals from a low-orbit satellite constellation), which is being built in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan, to be commissioned by the end of 2023, Kenan Poleo, the UK's Trade Commissioner for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region and British Consul General, Istanbul, told Trend.
"I had a privilege to travel to Kazakhstan on my first official visit in May. It was brilliant to see and experience first-hand just how many exciting opportunities there are for innovative British Businesses. Our countries enjoy a growing partnership, and we are committed to expanding cooperation across a range of priority sectors, including technology," he said.
Kenan Poleo noted that OneWeb is a brilliant example of what can be accomplished when two countries work together.
"We expect construction of the UK’s OneWeb ground station in the Almaty region to be fully commissioned by the end of this year, providing satellite connectivity to countries across Eurasia. During my visit to Kazakhstan, I had the chance to explore one of the most exciting areas of cooperation: mining. It was great to explore how the UK’s expertise in the full mining lifecycle, including low carbon solutions, can support the transition to a cleaner, greener future for Kazakh businesses," he said.
According to him, education is another key sector of cooperation.
"2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in the Fields of Education, Science and Culture between the UK and Kazakhstan. Education is a great sector, which demonstrates what can be accomplished when we work together. When De Montfort University opened in Almaty in 2021, it was the first International University to open a campus in Kazakhstan, and just last month Heriot-Watt launched three dual degree programs in partnership with Zhubanov University in Aktobe. This is great news for the UK and Kazakhstan, and I want to see more success stories like these," he added.
The UK is one of Kazakhstan’s key trade and economic partners, having invested more than $16 billion in the country's economy.
Bilateral trade turnover in 2022 amounted to $1.8 billion, an increase of 58.7 percent compared to 2021.
At the moment, about 550 companies, joint ventures and representative offices with the participation of British capital are registered in Kazakhstan, covering almost all sectors of the domestic economy.
