Foreign ministers of Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan’s top diplomat Yermek Kosherbayev, held a meeting in London with members of the UK Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cooperation with Central Asia, DKNews.kz reports.
The talks focused on strengthening interparliamentary dialogue, expanding regional cooperation, and addressing shared global challenges.
Focus on Kazakhstan–UK partnership
Kosherbayev emphasized that Kazakhstan attaches special importance to its relationship with the United Kingdom, describing it as one of the country’s key partners in Europe.
He highlighted the steady growth of political dialogue, trade, investment, and cooperation in education and innovation.
According to the minister, interparliamentary engagement plays a crucial role in strengthening bilateral ties by helping to:
- deepen mutual understanding between countries
- exchange legislative and governance best practices
- coordinate approaches to regional and global issues
- strengthen long-term political partnerships
He noted that parliamentary diplomacy complements traditional foreign policy channels.
Central Asia’s growing role on the global stage
During the discussions, Kosherbayev stressed that Central Asia is becoming a region of increasing opportunities and responsibility.
He pointed out that stronger parliamentary cooperation can help address key shared challenges, including:
- regional stability and security
- sustainable economic development
- climate change response
- strengthening regional connectivity
“Central Asia today is a region of growing opportunities and increasing responsibility. We believe that more active engagement of parliaments can make a meaningful contribution to addressing common challenges,” he said.
Reforms and modernization in Kazakhstan
The Kazakh foreign minister also briefed UK parliamentarians on the country’s ongoing political and constitutional reforms.
These reforms are aimed at:
- modernizing public administration
- strengthening state institutions
- enhancing the role of Parliament
- improving checks and balances within governance
Officials noted that the changes are designed to create a more accountable and effective system of governance.
Dialogue with the Speaker of the House of Commons
As part of the visit, Kosherbayev also met with Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle.
During the talks, he reaffirmed the importance of interparliamentary cooperation and welcomed the establishment of a new parliamentary group focused on Central Asia within the UK Parliament.
Kosherbayev expressed confidence that the initiative would:
- strengthen dialogue between legislators
- increase British parliamentary engagement with the region
- support long-term cooperation projects
Hoyle, in turn, emphasized the UK Parliament’s readiness to support initiatives aimed at deepening ties with Central Asia. He described Kazakhstan as a stable and reliable partner and expressed interest in expanding exchanges of legislative experience and joint educational and cultural projects.
Why the meeting matters
Analysts say parliamentary diplomacy is becoming an increasingly important tool in international relations, especially in regions undergoing rapid economic and political transformation.
For Central Asia, stronger engagement with the UK Parliament is seen as an opportunity to boost political trust, attract investment interest, and support cooperation on global challenges.
The London meeting underscored growing momentum in Kazakhstan–UK relations and highlighted the expanding international role of Central Asia.
