Dariga Nazarbayeva Receives British Ambassador

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Chairperson of the Kazakh Senate's Committee of International Relations, Defense and Security Dariga Nazarbayeva received British Ambassador Michael Gifford on Thursday, Kazinform cites the Senate press service. Dariga Nazarbayeva congratulated Ambassador Gifford on the beginning of the diplomatic service in Astana and expressed confidence that his professional experience will contribute to further strengthening of relations between our countries. The sides exchanged views on the meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un held in Singapore this week and settlement of the Korean Peninsula denuclearization problem. According to Ms. Nazarbayeva, the results of the talks between the leaders of the United States and North Korea are encouraging. The head of the Senate Committee also spoke in praise of the friendly and trust-based relations between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom, mentioning that the UK is Kazakhstan's crucial strategic partner. A large-scale trade, economic, financial and investment cooperation has been established. Dariga Nazarbayeva underlined the ample opportunities for the British banks and financial institutions being opened up owing to the launch of the Astana International Financial Centre operating under the principles of English law. The sides discussed the development of cultural and humanitarian contacts. Dariga Nazarbayeva noted with satisfaction the productive cooperation in education, science, and new technologies. The senator called on the British Council and the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan to promote the implementation of joint projects. During the talks, they pointed out the importance of the inter-parliamentary dialogue, where a valuable role is played by friendship groups operating in the legislative authorities of the two countries. As Nazarbayeva stressed, the contacts between British MPs and their Kazakh counterparts should become a critical factor in expanding and deepening the ties between the parliaments of Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom.