- David Cameron will visit Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia as part of the government’s ambition to increase engagement with this key region
- The Foreign Secretary will promote opportunities for UK businesses and announce £50m of new funding to support the sovereignty and independence of countries in the region
- The Foreign Secretary will announce a new British Council initiative to promote English in Central Asia, providing English teachers in the region with online teaching resources tailored to local content for the first time
The foreign minister will visit Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia as part of the government’s ambition to increase engagement with this key part of the world. He will meet with leaders in the region to deepen cooperation on common challenges ranging from counterterrorism to climate change.
He will ensure that English teachers in the region have access to tailor-made British Council English teaching materials to provide young people with global opportunities. He will double the amount of funding for Chevening scholarships so more people can study at the UK’s world-class universities.
He will support British businesses from Bridgend to Bishkek to create jobs and grow. He will show that British businesses provide sustainable, high-quality investment that can drive economic growth without compromising the region’s hard-won sovereignty.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:
We live in a highly competitive world. If you want to protect and promote British interests, you need to get out there and compete.
Central Asia is at the heart of some of the biggest challenges we face and driving its future prosperity is vital for the UK and the region.
The Foreign Secretary will build on the UK’s high-level relationships with Central Asian countries and Mongolia, reinforcing our role as a long-term partner in the region. He will promote discussions on sanctions evasion, human rights and reform.
He will use the visit to announce £50 million in new development funding for Central Asia and Eastern Neighbors over the next three years. UK funding will not only boost regional growth and economic resilience, it will also strengthen trade and cooperation between our two countries, making the region and the UK more secure and prosperous.
During the visit, the Foreign Secretary will visit a series of important attractions such as Tajikistan’s hydroelectric power generation project, Kyrgyz canal irrigation points, and Mongolian cultural sites.
David Cameron is the first British Foreign Secretary to visit Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, and his first visit to Uzbekistan since 1997. This week’s visit highlights the UK Government’s ambition to strengthen engagement with this key region and is a key moment to promote British values, build geopolitical relationships and deliver opportunities for the region and British people.
