The UK is the third largest investor in Kazakhstan, representing 14% of total foreign direct investment in the country.  Over 100 companies are either fully UK-owned or joint ventures with British connections. In addition, a large number of non-British companies run their Kazakhstan operations out of the UK.

The largest sectors are oil and gas, mining, agriculture, power generation and manufacturing. BG, Shell and BP are all present in Kazakhstan, as are a large number of smaller oil-field service and supply companies.

There is also a substantial British presence in the services sector (eg consultancy, banking, legal); civil aviation, where British Aerospace set up and own 49% of Air Astana, the national carrier; tobacco, precious metals, education and training and other sectors.

The economic relationship is developed through the Kazakh-British Trade and Industry Council (KBTIC), established in 1995. It gives UK companies operating in Kazakhstan the opportunity to meet with Kazakh ministers and senior decision makers to raise issues/problems. The last meeting was in Astana in 2009. UK members include British Airways, British Gas, BP and HSBC.

As part of our strategy to develop the economic relationship, we have established the UK Trade and Investment Atyrau Office on the Caspian Sea. UK Trade and Investment has also formed the Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Interest Group (KOGIG) in Britain, which is expected to become a wide active forum that will support British trade and investment interests in Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector.

The local authorities of the three key oil and gas producing regions in west Kazakhstan have signed MOUs with Aberdeen City Council establishing official relationships aimed at facilitating the development of co-operation in the public and private sectors.