Yerzhan Kazykhanov is currently ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UK, based in London. Prior to his current appointment, he served in a number of other posts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Administration, including chief of protocol; director of the Department of Multilateral Cooperation, permanent representative to the United Nations, ambassador of Kazakhstan to Austria, permanent representative of Kazakhstan to the International Organizations in Vienna, deputy minister of foreign affairs and minister of foreign affairs and assistant to the President of Kazakhstan. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Oriental studies from the Saint Petersburg State University and a Ph.D. in history from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. He is the author of numerous articles on the Kazakhstan’s foreign policy issues, multilateral diplomacy and the role of the United Nations. He speaks Russian, English and Arabic, and is the recipient of several State Awards.