HK and Kazakhstan ink 43 agreements across fintech, trade, and I&T

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said the city and Kazakhstan will sign 43 memoranda of understanding (MoU) and agreements covering areas including aviation, finance and trade, I&T, the digital economy, and green development.

This comes as Lee is leading a business delegation of Hong Kong and mainland enterprise representatives on a continued visit to Kazakhstan. He met with Kazakh prime minister Olzhas Bektenov (pictured right) and visited several enterprises.

During the luncheon, Lee announced multiple outcomes from the visit, notably that Hong Kong and Kazakhstan will accelerate exploratory talks on a comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreement and an investment promotion and protection agreement, aiming to finalise them as soon as possible.

In addition, a Hong Kong airline plans to launch direct flights to Almaty in the first quarter of 2027, further promoting economic, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

Lee also met with Kazakhstan's trade minister Arman Shakkaliyev to discuss deepening trade ties. Lee said that Hong Kong is the world's fifth-largest merchandise trading entity, supports free trade and multilateralism, and is expanding its global trade network. Kazakhstan aims to become a regional trade hub by promoting digital commerce and market modernisation. This creates strong opportunities for cooperation in trade, logistics, and fintech.

Enterprises in Kazakhstan can use Hong Kong as a gateway to explore markets in the Mainland and Asia, according to Lee. Hong Kong will continue to play its roles as a "super connector" (超級聯繫人) and a "super value-adder" (超級增值人), working hand in hand with Kazakhstan to explore new opportunities in economic and trade co-operation.

In a Facebook post, Lee said he and Kazakh prime minister Bektenov had in-depth exchanges on cooperation in the economy, infrastructure, culture, education, and tourism. Lee emphasised that both Hong Kong's government and business sectors highly value closer ties with Kazakhstan, citing strong complementarities and opportunities in finance, trade, investment, and industry.

Lee noted that Kazakhstan's rich natural resources and market potential align well with Hong Kong's international professional services. He also invited Kazakh enterprises to visit Hong Kong, especially the Northern Metropolis - the city's future economic engine - to explore its latest developments in finance, tech innovation, and legal services.

Lee continues his visit to Kazakhstan on Wednesday (3 June) before proceeding to Uzbekistan to continue his programme.

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