Kazakhstan and Scotland boost regional cooperation
The Kazakh diplomat met with the Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett, the Member of the British Parliament Ross Thomson, Scottish business executives, and Kazakh students studying at Scottish universities.
The main topic of the meeting with Lord Provost Crockett was the outcome of the Aberdeen City Council's September visit to Atyrau, which resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Akimat (administration) of the Atyrau Region and Aberdeen. The sides also discussed the provisions of the draft Joint Action Plan between the two regions.
The sides also focused on the prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation in renewable energy and green technologies, agriculture, tourism and the oil and gas industry.
The Kazakh diplomat briefed the local business community on the opening of the Astana International Financial Centre, the activity of the International Centre for Green Technologies, Kazakhstan's privatisation programme, as well as the potential for investment cooperation.
Brexit's impact on the British economy was a separate topic for discussion. In this regard, the Kazakh Ambassador suggested that Scottish businesses consider the possibility of creating joint high-tech enterprises in Kazakhstan with regard to the export potential of the Eurasian Economic Union and China markets.
The meeting with Ross Thomson MP discussed prospects for further development of inter-parliamentary dialogue between the two countries and the activities of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Kazakhstan, which paid an official visit to Astana in May 2018.
At the traditional meeting with Kazakh students, Ambassador Idrissov briefed his young compatriots on the upcoming cultural, educational and scientific events being organised by the Embassy, as well as possible internship programmes in British companies set up with the Embassy's assistance. The Kazakh diplomat also discussed the State of the Nation Address delivered by the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev on 5 October, titled "Growing welfare of Kazakh citizens: increase in income and quality of life". Special attention was paid to the ongoing reforms with a focus on the quality of human capital. In this regard, the Kazakh Ambassador called on students to strive to ensure the highest results in their studies in order to further apply their knowledge in Kazakhstan.
To conclude his visit, Ambassador Idrissov conducted an interview with Press and Journal, a popular Aberdeen newspaper, and highlighted the investment and export potential of Kazakhstan, the activities of the AIFC, as well as the ongoing economic and social reforms in Kazakhstan.