Kazakh, British FMs hold session of strategic dialogue
Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi arrived to London with a visit upon the invitation of the British side, El.kz cites Kazakh MFA.
On the first day of the visit, Minister Tileuberdi and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland James Cleverly held the 6th Session of the Strategic Dialogue between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom. The Session was also attended by representatives of relevant ministries and departments of Kazakhstan and the UK.
The Kazakh-British Strategic Dialogue was established in 2013 and has become an important institutional platform for discussing bilateral and multilateral cooperation issues, as well as identifying new, promising areas of partnership.
During a separate meeting Foreign Ministers discussed the entire range of bilateral issues and exchanged views on regional and international matters of mutual interest.
Minister Tileuberdi underlined the high level of mutual trust and close political dialogue between Astana and London that contributes to the steady deepening of multifaceted partnership in various spheres. “It is symbolic that my visit to London takes place during the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom. At this stage it is necessary to give a qualitatively new impetus to our strategic partnership”, noted the head of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry.
“Kazakhstan is a reliable, leading partner of our country in Central Asia. We are ready to use all available opportunities to diversify British-Kazakh cooperation,” said James Cleverly. The British side stressed the need to maintain constant dialogue at the government level and intensify business contacts of the two countries.
This will be facilitated by concluding the new Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UK in the near future. The parties welcomed growing bilateral trade that has increased by 65.7% during the ten months of this year compared to the same period last year.
The Head of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry also informed about the political and socio-economic reforms initiated by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, aimed at building a Just and Fair Kazakhstan. Minister Tileuberdi invited his British colleague to pay a return visit to Astana. The invitation was enthusiastically accepted by the Foreign Secretary.
Following the meeting, a Joint Statement was adopted by the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom, reflecting the shared intention to develop bilateral strategic partnership in the political, trade, economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as in the field of energy security and combating climate change.
On the first day in London, the Kazakh Foreign Minister also met with the British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy Baroness Emma Nicholson, Chairman of the Kazakh-British Society Rupert Goodman and other British officials.
The same day Minister Tileuberdi and members of the Kazakh delegation met with the leadership of major British and international companies, including Shell, RioTinto and ERG International Group to discuss the prospects of exploration and production of mineral resources, diversification of Kazakh oil exports, developing green energy and building desalination and water treatment facilities in Kazakhstan.
The UK is one of the seven largest foreign investors and among the top ten trading partners of Kazakhstan. Today, over 600 companies with British capital are registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan. British investment in Kazakhstan’s economy have exceeded 20 billion US dollars over the past 30 years.
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