Kazakhstan, UK deepen economic ties with new critical minerals roadmap and education partnerships
As part of his visit to London, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev took part in a roundtable meeting with representatives of the British business community, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The British side was represented by Acting Minister of State for Business and Trade and Co-Chair of the UK side of the Kazakhstan-UK Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation, Chairman of the British-Kazakh Society Rupert Goodman, as well as senior executives of leading British companies, including Maritime House, Weir Group, Perry Engineering, Car Park Transformer, British Petroleum, Standard Chartered Bank, UK Export Finance, London Stock Exchange Group, Gleeds, Better Earth, Eutelsat One Web, and representatives of Coventry University and Cardiff University.
The meeting focused on the prospects for expanding trade, economic, and investment partnership between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom. Particular attention was paid to cooperation in critical minerals and rare earth elements, according to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
“Within the framework of ongoing institutional reforms, Kazakhstan continues to strengthen investor protection and offer targeted tax incentives and preferences. We remain firmly committed to ensuring that your investments generate long-term returns, supported by political stability, a favorable business climate, and consistent efforts to unlock new opportunities in our economy,” emphasized Minister Kosherbayev in his remarks.
The Kazakh diplomat also briefed representatives of the UK business community on Kazakhstan’s achievements over the past 25 years.
He said that Kazakhstan had achieved substantial economic growth, averaging 5.7% in real terms annually. According to the latest IMF data, the country’s nominal GDP exceeds 300 billion US dollars, placing it among the world’s top 50 economies. Kazakhstan currently accounts for more than 60% of all foreign direct investment flows into Central Asia, reinforcing its position as the economic hub of the region.
In turn, Deputy Minister Bryant highlighted the success of British investors in Kazakhstan and stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation. He expressed readiness to advance joint work in green economy projects, rare earth elements, transport and transit, education, and AI-IT. He noted that these initiatives create sustainable investment opportunities, strengthen long-term partnerships, and contribute to diversifying supply chains of critical materials to international markets.
Participants agreed that strengthening economic cooperation contributes to the sustainable development of the region. They also emphasized the importance of moving the Kazakhstan-UK partnership from dialogue to the implementation of concrete projects in new areas of Kazakhstan’s economic development.
Following the event, the parties signed the following documents:
- Kazakhstan-UK Roadmap on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Critical Minerals through 2027;
- Memorandum on expanding partnership and intentions to open a licensed campus in Almaty between Coventry University and Coventry University Kazakhstan.
In addition, it was announced that the presence of British educational institutions in Kazakhstan will be further expanded, including the opening of Charterhouse School in Almaty, the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Centre by Cardiff University, and the opening of a new campus of Heriot-Watt University in Aktobe.
The United Kingdom is among the top ten largest investors in Kazakhstan’s economy. In 2024, British investments amounted to 723.7 million US dollars, while in the first nine months of 2025 they totaled 471.5 million US dollars.
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev took part in the high-level segments of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva. Taking the floor at the opening of the 20th anniversary cycle of the Human Rights Council, Ashikbayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to protecting and promoting human rights as a foundation for freedom, justice, and sustainable peace