Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom Agree on Veterinary Certificate for Import of Genetic Material

The negotiations took place in London between the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom (DEFRA). The Kazakh side was headed by the Chairman of the Committee, Kazbek Tashimov, and the British side by the head of DEFRA's International Market Access Department, Peter Gray. The meeting was held within the framework of the Agricultural Cooperation Roadmap signed on April 30, 2025.

The initialing of the last veterinary certificate marks the completion of efforts to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework governing the trade of genetic material and animal-derived products between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom.

The document enables the import of:

• semen of large and small cattle;

• embryos;

• genetic material of pigs.

This will significantly expand the range of breeding programs and bring the import of high-performance genetics to a systematic level.

According to the Committee's statement, the updated trading mechanism creates conditions for:

• strengthening the genetic potential of domestic livestock;

• expanding the breeding base and implementing advanced breeding practices;

• increasing exports of Kazakhstani livestock products;

• harmonizing veterinary and sanitary requirements of the two countries.

The initialing also contributes to deepening cooperation in veterinary control and strengthening traceability mechanisms.

The Kazakh delegation held talks with the leadership of the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency (FSA). The meeting discussed ongoing projects of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) with Kazakhstani universities, particularly research in the fields of agricultural animal genetics and biotechnology.

Both parties confirmed their readiness to continue joint work within the framework of intergovernmental agreements and outlined the following steps:

• expanding trade opportunities;

• supporting pedigree livestock breeding;

• developing joint scientific and educational projects;

• enhancing the competitiveness of Kazakhstani products in the global market.

Kazakhstan expects that the new agreements will improve access to British technologies and breeding standards, as well as strengthen the position of domestic livestock on the global stage, noted the press service.