Lord Vernon Coaker, Minister of the House of Lords and UK Deputy Minister of Defence, paid an official visit to Kazakhstan. He became the first representative of the newly elected UK government (July 2024) to visit the country, DKnews.kz reports.
During his visit to Almaty and Astana, Lord Coaker met with Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Shaikh-Hasan Zhazykbayev, to discuss strategic areas of defence cooperation, with a strong focus on peacekeeping development.
Long-standing defence partnership focused on peacekeeping
In Almaty, Lord Coaker visited the Kazakhstan Peace Operations Centre (KAZCENT), where British military instructors from the British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) conduct training for Kazakh peacekeepers. As part of the visit, the UK official donated IT equipment to support KAZCENT’s transition to digital learning formats.
One of the key pillars of UK–Kazakhstan defence cooperation is the English language training programme delivered through KAZCENT. Running for eight consecutive years, the programme helps prepare Kazakh military personnel for participation in international peacekeeping missions.
In 2024 alone, 500 Kazakh Armed Forces officers received English language training with UK support. The UK also developed specialised learning materials for medical personnel and produced pocket guides on first aid in English. Language proficiency testing was introduced to better prepare Kazakh troops for future UN deployments.
Expanding Kazakhstan’s strategic airlift capabilities
The UK also welcomed Kazakhstan’s acquisition of its first A400M strategic military transport aircraft — a European-built plane involving UK participation. This addition will enhance Kazakhstan’s capacity for peacekeeping missions and rapid crisis response operations worldwide.
Lord Coaker: “We are committed to our partnership with Kazakhstan”
“It is a great honour to be here as the first minister from the new UK government to visit Kazakhstan. The UK is proud of its longstanding support for Kazakhstan’s peacekeeping efforts. The Armed Forces of Kazakhstan have demonstrated their professionalism in UN missions, including on the Golan Heights. Meeting some of the peacekeepers and discussing future training with Major General Zhazykbayev reaffirmed our strong commitment to this partnership,” said Lord Coaker during his visit.
Kazakhstan’s growing role in international peace and security
The UK remains committed to supporting Kazakhstan’s active role in international peacekeeping and recognises its growing contribution to global stability, multilateral cooperation, and international security.
