ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev held a series of high-level talks in London on Feb. 26 with UK officials, advancing cooperation in critical minerals, trade and investment, energy, digital transformation and education, and reinforcing the countries’ long-term strategic partnership.
Yermek Kosherbayev held a series of high-level talks in London on Feb. 26 with UK officials. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
During negotiations with Chris Bryant, the UK’s acting Minister of State for Business and Trade and co-chair of the UK-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Commission, the officials welcomed an 84% increase in bilateral trade, which reached $1.6 billion last year. More than 500 UK-affiliated companies are currently operating in Kazakhstan, including major investors in critical minerals, green energy, and digital technologies, according to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service.
Kosherbayev emphasized Kazakhstan’s ambition to move beyond raw-material extraction toward value-added processing and refining, notably in rare-earth elements. The discussions highlighted joint projects with companies such as Rio Tinto and cooperation under the recently signed Roadmap on Critical Minerals. Of the 36 minerals designated as strategically important by the UK, 22 are produced in Kazakhstan, reinforcing its role in strengthening diversified supply chains.
Energy cooperation, including stable Kazakh oil supplies to Europe, was also reaffirmed, alongside growing collaboration in artificial intelligence, satellite communications and healthcare modernization.
During a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, the diplomats reviewed progress under the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed in 2024 and discussed expanding ties in transport and logistics, finance, digitalization, climate policy and education.
Particular attention was given to academic cooperation. Branch campuses of leading British universities, including De Montfort University, Heriot-Watt University, Coventry University and Cardiff University, have opened in Kazakhstan in recent years, reflecting a shift toward deeper institutional partnerships.
Both officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening intergovernmental dialogue and delivering tangible results in the economy, science and technology.
