Kazakhstan-UK Intergovernmental Commission confirms further enhancement of strategic partnership
LONDON, 9 December 2020 – The seventh meeting of the Kazakhstan-UK Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation (Commission) was hosted online under the co-chairmanship of the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Almas Aidarov and the UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade Ranil Jayawardena MP. The Commission’s working group meetings also took place online from 10 November to 3 December.
The participants of the working groups, including more than 20 representatives of UK businesses, reviewed the results of the Commission’s work over the past year and outlined directions for further development of the multi-faceted bilateral cooperation. The sides discussed the prospects for cooperation in the energy, financial and mining sectors, as well as in healthcare and education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Aidarov stressed that Kazakhstan seeks to attract not only foreign direct investment, but more increasingly, new knowledge and technologies, and called on UK businesses to participate in the Digital Kazakhstan State Programme.
“The economy is quickly diversifying towards digitalisation, transport, logistics, agri-business, manufacturing, energy, and mining… Despite some impressive achievements, Kazakhstan is not going to rest on its laurels and has already set new goals for long-term sustainable development. The establishment of the Supreme Council for Reforms chaired by President Tokayev and consulted by former EBRD Chairman Sir Suma Chakrabarti is yet another major step towards our brighter future,” he added.
Mr Jayawardena MP emphasised the potential of Kazakhstan’s capital city of Nur-Sultan to become a world-class commercial hub. He expressed confidence that British businesses will be central in providing the goods, services and financing needed to achieve this goal, including through cutting edge architecture, digital technologies, healthcare, education, financial services, renewable energy and clean growth technologies.
“We must strengthen and deepen our ties. We must build clean, more diverse, and more sustainable economies that are fit for the future, harnessing the benefits of new technologies that are transforming our planet. And together we can drive forwards the cause for free trade and international investment around the globe,” he said.
The Commission included meetings of five working groups on finance and financial services, education, mining, energy, and healthcare.
Participants of the financial services working group discussed global initiatives in green and sustainable finance, green finance in the banking sector, and green technologies.
Representatives of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) spoke in detail about their activities, including in the field of green finance. They briefed the British side on the adoption of the strategy for AIFC’s regional leadership in green finance and the development of schemes and rules of issuing green bonds based on international standards.
The working group on energy focused on sustainable deposit development and renewable energy sources. The meeting participants highlighted that major oil companies in Kazakhstan are diversifying their asset portfolios towards environmentally friendly and low-carbon energy sources. The companies intend to integrate renewable energy sources into oil and gas operations, implement organisational reforms to support technological changes, and conduct decarbonisation actions at the level of subsidiaries and contractors. The meeting stressed Kazakhstan’s strategic goal to ensure that at least 50% of the total volume of energy in the country is generated from renewable sources by 2050.
The working group on mining discussed positive trends in the industry in Kazakhstan after the adoption of the new Code on Subsoil and Subsoil Use, which was developed in accordance with best international practice. The meeting also discussed Kazakhstan’s new draft Environmental Code designed to improve environmental regulation, introduce new guidelines for environmental impact assessment, facilitate the use of best available technologies and automated environmental monitoring.
Discussions within the working group on education were built around further development in the post-COVID world. The Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan identified priority topics such as EdTech development in Kazakhstan, creating interactive online platforms, and developing digital education in Kazakhstan.
Representatives of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) and the British Council shared their experience in developing digital education and the steps taken to ensure continuous education under lockdowns in the UK.
The event saw the UK’s Twig and Kazakhstan’s Bilim Media Group present the first successful joint platform – www.twig-bilim.kz – which is gaining popularity among Kazakh schoolchildren and students. The sides agreed that the demand for such platforms in the digital age will inevitably grow faster.
The working group on healthcare heard a report on the implementation of the State Programme of Healthcare Development in Kazakhstan for 2020-2025. The programme plans to build 18 new hospitals in Kazakhstan funded through public private partnerships.
The participants of the seventh session of the Intergovernmental Commission and the bilateral negotiations compared notes on the main aspects of trade and economic cooperation and confirmed mutual intention to further expand Kazakh-British strategic partnership in the challenging times of the post-coronavirus crisis.
The event will result in the signing of the Protocol of the Seventh Meeting of the Kazakhstan-UK Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation, which sets out long-term plans for further expansion of bilateral cooperation.