Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will (a) suspend UK military training with Kazakhstan and (b) apologise for UK military involvement in training with that country in the last three years, including as part of Exercise Steppe Eagle.

Her Majesty's Government has followed developments in Kazakhstan closely. We condemn the acts of violence and greatly regret the loss of life. We have been clear with the Kazakh Government that the right to peaceful protest should be protected. We will continue to monitor the conduct of the Kazakh Armed Forces and, if any breaches of international law are seen, we will raise these with the Kazakh Government. Our vision for Central Asia is of a peaceful and prosperous region underpinned by respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We are committed to engaging with Kazakhstan to build a stable and prosperous future on the basis of these principles.