Cameron urges stronger ties with Kazakhstan on Central Asia tour

David Cameron was the first British prime minister to visit Kazakhstan. That was 11 years ago, now reincarnated as the UK’s foreign secretary, Cameron has urged stronger ties between the two nations during his Astana pit-stop.

Lord Cameron visited the Kazakh capital on 24 April as part of a wider Central Asia and Mongolia diplomatic tour. In Astana, he held separate talks with President Kassym-Jomart Toakyev, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu.

The two counterparts signed a new Cooperation Agreement, seeking to strengthen bilateral relations in key sectors such as foreign policy and security, trade and investment, energy and raw materials partnership, environment protection and climate change, science and education.

Welcoming Cameron, Kazakh President Tokayev expressed confidence that the newly signed comprehensive agreement will give “a fresh boost to our multifaceted bilateral agenda”.

Tokayev touched on the potential to enhance trade, economic and investment cooperation in fields such as energy, green economy, finance and innovation, as well as deepening cultural and humanitarian ties.

The British foreign secretary, on the other hand, praised Kazakhstan for the “huge progress” made on economic, social and political levels. Cameron highlighted progress in the educational sector, announcing the doubling of Chevening scholarships for the Kazakh youth.

Meanwhile, Minister Nurtleu emphasized the growing trade volume between countries. The UK ranks among the top 10 investors in Kazakhstan. British investments increased by 20%, amounting to $795 million in just the last year.

Cameron confirmed there will be more opportunities for investment in the future, as the parties recently signed a partnership on critical minerals. “We have exciting proposals for British mining companies to be involved in that area,” he announced.

Offering a new choice for partnership

The region preserves ties and cooperation with both Russia and China. Turkmenistan, for example, relies almost exclusively on purchases of natural gas by those countries to survive. Meanwhile, bilateral trade with the UK stood at a mere £66 million in the last quarter of 2023, according to the UK’s Department for Business and Trade.

The British foreign secretary used the term “sandwiched” to refer to Central Asia’s position between Russia and China, in a video posted from the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, on X (formerly Twitter), before his stop in Astana.

Speaking in the Kazakh capital about the broader purpose of this visit, Cameron stressed the UK’s offer for a deeper partnership with the region, without pressuring Central Asian countries to disavow “natural” trading relations with either Russia or China.

“We are not saying to Kazakhstan, or any other country, that you have to make a choice. We are here because we believe you should be able to make a choice to partner with us in a way that is good for both our security and prosperity,” Cameron remarked.

Central Asia’s increasing importance

Cameron’s visit to the five former Soviet Central Asian countries and Mongolia came several months after the publication of a report by the Foreign Affairs Committee, “Countries at crossroads: UK engagement in Central Asia”.

The November 2023 report denounced London’s low level of engagement with the region, considering the deepening of ties “a geopolitical imperative”, and recommending high-level ministerial visits to the region.

Member of Parliament Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed Cameron’s visit to Central Asia and Mongolia, saying it demonstrates “the increasing importance of this geopolitical region”.

The committee report paid special attention to the repercussions of Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying Moscow had been using the region to avoid sanctions imposed by the UK.

“Lord Cameron’s acknowledgement that Russian elites have been using Central Asian states to circumvent sanctions is welcome. In order for the UK’s sanction regime against [Russian President] Putin to be effective, it must be ironclad,” Kearns commented on the committee’s website.

The report called for the British government to adapt approaches to engagement for each Central Asian country in order to encourage independence. Kearns noted a £50 million commitment in assistance that “may help the UK increase its soft power and influence in the region”.

“Situated along the fault line between Russia and China, protecting the independence and sovereignty of Central Asian countries is paramount,” she remarked.

[By Xhoi Zajmi I Edited by Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]

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