Bakayev’s diplomatic mission has officially begun. Kazakhstan’s new Ambassador to the United Kingdom is taking up his post as the strategic partnership agreement between the two countries is already in force. Key priorities include investment, critical minerals, energy, transport and artificial intelligence, DKNews.kz reports.
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alibek Bakayev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, presented copies of his credentials to Eleanor McCune, Acting Director of the Protocol Directorate at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Assistant Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps.
Presentation of credentials marks the official start of the mission
Eleanor McCune welcomed Kazakhstan’s newly appointed Ambassador and wished him a successful and productive diplomatic mission in London.
The British diplomat highly praised the dynamics and current level of Kazakhstan-UK cooperation across a broad range of areas and expressed readiness to maintain close working contacts with the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United Kingdom.
For Bakayev, the ceremony has a specific protocol significance. Under the host country’s diplomatic practice, the presentation of copies of credentials marks the official start of the Kazakh Ambassador’s diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom.
The formal ceremony at which the credentials will be presented to His Majesty King Charles III will take place at a later date.
Strategic agreement shapes the Astana-London agenda
Following the ceremony, the two sides discussed the current state and prospects for the further development of Kazakhstan-UK relations.
Bakayev stressed that Kazakhstan attaches great importance to strengthening cooperation with the United Kingdom. The institutional foundation for this engagement is the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom, which entered into force in June 2026.
The agreement places bilateral relations on a more structured footing, allowing future projects to rely not only on individual arrangements but also on an established treaty framework for strategic partnership.
Critical minerals and AI among key priorities
The new Ambassador’s agenda extends well beyond political dialogue.
The two sides identified several priority areas for further cooperation: trade and investment, critical minerals, energy, transport, education, artificial intelligence and humanitarian ties.
For Kazakhstan, these areas are directly linked to its economic agenda. They include traditional sectors such as energy and transport infrastructure, alongside technologies and strategic raw materials that are increasingly important for new global production chains.
Cooperation in critical minerals has already become a distinct component of relations between the two countries. It will now also form part of Bakayev’s priority agenda during his diplomatic mission in London.
Bakayev briefed the British side on reforms in Kazakhstan
Part of the meeting focused on Kazakhstan’s domestic political and socio-economic agenda.
Bakayev informed the British side about reforms initiated by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The discussion included the entry into force of the new Constitution and the upcoming elections to the Kurultai.
The inclusion of these issues in the diplomatic talks shows that political dialogue between Astana and London extends beyond international and economic cooperation to include Kazakhstan’s ongoing domestic transformation.
The new Ambassador begins with a defined set of priorities
At the end of the meeting, Bakayev thanked the British side for the warm welcome and substantive discussion and confirmed his readiness to work closely with the UK Government to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom.
His mission in London begins with a clearly defined agenda. DKNews.kz previously reported on the tasks President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set for Alibek Bakayev following his appointment as Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The priorities also included practical implementation of the strategic agreement, expansion of trade and investment, energy, transport, innovation and education.
The next protocol stage for the new Ambassador will be the presentation of credentials to His Majesty King Charles III.
