Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong begins his first official visit to Central Asia, visiting Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong is on official visits to Kazakhstan from 24 to 27 August 2026, and to Uzbekistan from 27 to 31 August 2026. This will be Senior Minister Lee’s first visit to Central Asia.
In Kazakhstan, Senior Minister Lee will be in Astana and Almaty. In Astana, he will call on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev, and Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev. He will also be conferred the Order of Dostyk (Friendship) of the First Class Award by President Tokayev and deliver a lecture at Nazarbayev University, where he will be conferred an Honorary Professorship.
In Almaty, Senior Minister Lee will be hosted to lunch by the Akim (Mayor) of Almaty Darkhan Satybaldy and meet Singapore and Kazakh business leaders.
Senior Minister Lee said, “This is my first visit to Central Asia. Over the next few days, I will be in Almaty and Astana to meet government and business leaders, as well as to deliver a lecture at Nazarbayev University.”
He noted that while Singapore and Kazakhstan are very different countries, both are outward-looking states with common interests and aspirations. Senior Minister Lee added that he looked forward to learning more about Kazakhstan and exploring ways to strengthen bilateral ties.
Source: MFA
