UK to help Kazakhstan find alternative oil export routes

British Foreign Minister James Cleverley said that London plans to help Kazakhstan find alternative routes for energy exports. According to Mr. Cleverley, the UK is also seeking to reduce the negative impact of sanctions against Russia on Kazakhstan.

“Kazakhstan has also made it clear that it will respect the sanctions and will not become a loophole to bypass them. We are grateful for the open dialogue on this issue. We will continue to do everything possible to minimize the economic impact on Kazakhstan from Russia’s war in Ukraine,” Mr. Cleverly said in an interview with the Kazakhstani online magazine Vlast.

“We will continue to work together with the government (Kazakhstan – “b”.) to explore ways to protect and diversify the Kazakh economic base, it is in our interest that Kazakhstan has a range of options to work with its international partners with the help of British experience, investments,” added James Cleverley.

In particular, the UK will assist Kazakhstan in supporting the “Middle Corridor” project to find alternative routes for the export of Kazakh products, including oil and gas.

In June 2022, Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev said that Astana was not going to violate Western sanctions against Russia when interacting with it. In December of the same year, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry recognized the negative impact of sanctions against Russia on the country’s economy.