BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 23. The UK is ready to support small and medium-sized businesses in Central Asia by creating a special fund with a capital of 19 million pounds sterling ($23.447 million), said the UK's Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs David Cameron, TurkicWorld reports.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, he made this statement during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Zheenbek Kulubaev.

Cameron spoke about the UK's interest in expanding partnerships with the countries of Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan in particular. He also outlined priority areas for cooperation in the economy and emphasized the importance of expanding educational programs in our country.

During the negotiations, Kulubaev noted that among the potential areas of cooperation are attracting foreign investment, increasing trade turnover, joint development of rare earth metals using advanced technologies, and transitioning to green energy.

At the end of the negotiations, the parties signed the Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan and the UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the period 2024–2026. A joint statement on economic cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the UK was also adopted.

David Cameron is in Kyrgyzstan on an official visit. This is the first official visit by the head of the UK's foreign policy agency to the country.