Kazakhstan and Sierra Leone Strengthen Ties Through Enhanced Cooperation

ASTANA – To bolster bilateral relations, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu met with Timothy Musa Kabba, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during his inaugural official visit to Astana on April 8. The discussions centered on fostering collaboration across various sectors, including trade, transport and logistics, healthcare, and agriculture.

Kazakhstan, recognized as one of the world’s leading grain producers, expressed its keen interest in leveraging the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route to facilitate the export of essential goods such as grain, cereals, oilseeds, high-quality meat, and organic products to African markets. This initiative aims to enhance trade links between the two nations and support economic growth in Sierra Leone.

The ministers also explored opportunities for cooperation in information technology and digitization, particularly through the Astana Hub, Central Asia’s largest IT startup park. Following a memorandum of understanding signed last year, the Kazakhstan Agency for International Development has already begun transferring components of its e-Gov platform to Sierra Leone, marking a significant step in digital collaboration.

Nurtleu expressed gratitude to Kabba for co-sponsoring the UN General Assembly resolution aimed at establishing a UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty. The meeting concluded with the signing of a Road map for Cooperation between the foreign ministries, further solidifying the partnership between Kazakhstan and Sierra Leone.