Kazakhstan strengthens energy and trade ties with UK and Italy

Kazakhstan is strengthening its economic and energy ties with several international partners. In Astana, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with UK Minister of State for Trade Lord Anas Sarwar to discuss cooperation in energy, transport, logistics, digitalization, and artificial intelligence. Bilateral trade between the two nations rose by 83% in 2025, and discussions included a critical minerals roadmap through 2027.

Simultaneously, Italy and Kazakhstan held the tenth session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on industrial and economic cooperation at the Farnesina. Italian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Edmondo Cirielli and Kazakh Minister of Trade Arman Shakkaliyev focused on energy supply diversification and infrastructure development. Kazakhstan remains a strategic partner for Italy regarding energy security and logistics between Europe and Asia.

In the energy sector, Saudi Aramco has awarded KBR a contract to provide engineering and project execution services for the Marjan offshore field in the Arabian Gulf. The project aims to modernize critical infrastructure, including gas compression and power facilities, to maintain production capacity following recent field expansions.