Kazakhstan Hands Latvia Draft Healthcare Cooperation Agreement

The talks have moved to a concrete document. Kazakhstan has presented Latvia with a draft interagency agreement on healthcare cooperation that could serve as a framework for developing direct ties between clinics, medical universities and healthcare professionals in the two countries.

The draft was discussed during a meeting in Riga between Dauren Karipov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Latvia, and Hosams Abu Meri, Latvia’s Minister of Health. The meeting took place on August 19, 2026, DKNews.kz reports.

Kazakhstan Has Already Submitted the Draft Agreement

The main practical outcome of the talks was the transfer to the Latvian side of a bilateral agreement drafted by the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan views such a document as one of the tools for intensifying cooperation between the healthcare authorities of the two countries.

At this stage, the document is still a draft rather than a signed agreement. The next step will be a detailed review of its provisions by representatives of the health ministries of Kazakhstan and Latvia.

For this purpose, the sides agreed to hold a separate online meeting.

Clinics and Medical Universities Could Establish Direct Partnerships

The talks were not limited to contacts between the two ministries.

One of the key areas discussed was the development of direct partnerships between medical organizations and higher education institutions in Kazakhstan and Latvia.

The agenda also included exchanges of experience between healthcare professionals and strengthening human-resource capacity.

In practical terms, this would allow cooperation to move beyond diplomatic contacts and reach the institutions that train doctors and provide medical care.

However, the published statement does not yet name specific clinics, universities, programs or implementation timelines.

Hosams Abu Meri Expressed Interest in Expanding Ties with Kazakhstan

Latvia’s Minister of Health Hosams Abu Meri expressed interest in further developing cooperation with Kazakhstan in the healthcare sector.

Abu Meri heads Latvia’s Ministry of Health and is a gastroenterologist by profession. He has served as health minister since September 2023, according to the official website of the Latvian government.

Following the meeting, the two sides confirmed their readiness to expand practical cooperation and strengthen direct contacts between the relevant government agencies.

The next key issue will be the content of the agreement. During the upcoming online meeting, the ministries are expected to identify specific areas for joint work.

From Diplomatic Dialogue to Direct Medical Cooperation

Healthcare is not an entirely new area in relations between Kazakhstan and Latvia.

The two countries have previously considered medicine and pharmaceuticals among the promising areas of bilateral cooperation. We also reported earlier on Kazakhstan and Latvia’s plans to deepen cooperation across several sectors.

The latest meeting added a concrete document to that process: the draft agreement has already been handed to the Latvian side, and the next step will be its joint review by the health ministries of the two countries.