Kazakh FM pays official visit to the UK

Erlan Idrissov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has paid an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the press service of the Ministry reports.

The visit of the Kazakh Foreign Minister began with a meeting with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons of the British Parliament Richard Ottaway.

During the talks Idrissov stressed that Kazakhstan considers the UK as an important political and economic partner. Ottaway, in turn, said that Kazakhstan is "a state of increasing significance" the success of which is known around the world. According to his words owing to timely reforms Kazakhstan has managed to attract significant foreign investment and to give a powerful impetus to economic development.

The meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation in political, trade-economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. The sides noted the positive dynamics of the Kazakh-British relations intensified after the British Prime Minister David Cameron's recent visit to Kazakhstan.

Investment cooperation has become one of the important topics of the talks. The parties have agreed to deepen partnership in this field. Erlan Idrissov praised the fact that the UK is the third largest foreign investor in Kazakhstan. According to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, from 1993 to 2012, the total amount of direct British investment in the economy of Kazakhstan amounted toUSD 11.7 billion. The volume of trade turnover in January-June 2013 amounted to USD 1.19 billion. At the same time Erlan Idrissov drew attention to Kazakhstan's interest in diversifying the British investment and increase of their flow in the non-primary sector of the economy.

A separate item on the agenda of negotiations with the British officials was the issues of visa regime. Kazakh FM underlined that Kazakhstan interested in facilitating UK visa receiving andcalled interlocutors to provide visas on the territory of Kazakhstan.

In addition the round table discussed the problems of regional security, military-technical cooperation as well as collaboration on transit of military personnel and property of those involved in the international forces to provide security in Afghanistan.

Erlan Idrissov delivered a report at the Royal Institute of International Affairs ''Chatham House'' on the theme "The priorities of Kazakhstan's foreign policy" which left impression ion the British experts.

In addition, during his stay in London, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan opened the new building of the Embassy of Kazakhstan and gave an interview to BBC corporation.