Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the outcome of the UK–Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation meeting held in Astana on 8 October.

My Rt Hon Friend, the Minister of State for Trade Policy, attended the UK-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Commission. The IGC highlighted UK companies’ collaboration in the oil and gas sector and promoted opportunities for UK companies in the mining, agriculture, financial services and infrastructure sectors.

TheCityUK offered the Astana International Financial Centre expertise to develop its corporate governance, and training to develop its staff in the UK; Kazakhstan confirmed that Kazatomprom will be the first major state-owned company to be part privatised, with a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and the new Astana exchange.

A Memorandum of Understanding between UK Export Finance (UKEF) and Kazakh Invest was signed, affirming UKEF appetite to support Kazakh projects and the ambition to increase procurement from the UK.