Kazakhstan and the U.K. sign agreement on strategic partnership
The U.K. and Kazakhstan have signed a strategic partnership and cooperation agreement. This happened during a meeting between Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the U.K. David Cameron, who visited Kazakhstan as part of his trip to Central Asia.
The U.K. is the biggest trading and investment partner of Kazakhstan, the Kazinform news agency reported, citing Nurtleu.
«Today, we have signed a strategic partnership and cooperation agreement between Kazakhstan and the U.K., bringing our relations to a new level. I do not doubt that this historically important and unique document will boost political, economic and investment relations between Kazakhstan and the U.K. for years to come,» Nurtleu said.
In turn, Cameron promised to facilitate new investments from British companies in the mining sector of Kazakhstan.
He said that the U.K. was one of the early investors in Kazakhstan. “We have big joint projects in the oil and gas industry. We are one of the leading investors in Kazakhstan’s economy. Today, we have signed an important agreement in the sphere of critical materials and we are going to invite more British mining companies to work in this sphere in Kazakhstan. We must ensure all bureaucratic barriers and obstacles are removed to create beneficial conditions for businesses in every sphere: education, energy and climate change. There are projects we can work together on for years,” he emphasized.
The British foreign minister was also received by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
«We are happy to see that our mutually beneficial cooperation with the U.K., our key strategic partner, has been developing so fast. I also want to highlight the importantance of the agreement on strategic partnership and cooperation we signed today. I am convinced that the document will serve as groundwork for multifaceted cooperation between our countries,» the president of Kazakhstan said.
In turn, the British foreign secretary thanked Tokayev for hospitality and recalled his first official visit to Kazakhstan as a Prime Minister of the U.K.
«Eleven years ago, I came here in order to start a strategic dialogue. We are going to strengthen our cooperation in spheres such as energy, education, business, culture and interhuman connections,» he said.
Earlier this month, Minister of State for Industry and Economic Security of the U.K. Nusrat Ghani posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the U.K. was ready to provide Kazakhstan with the necessary assistance to deal with massive floods. Turkey and Tajikistan also expressed their readiness to help Kazakhstan.
