Speaking to reporters in Astana during his first official visit to Central Asia, Lee said a Hong Kong-based airline will begin direct flights to Kazakhstan’s biggest city Almaty in the first quarter of next year, significantly cutting travel time between the two places.
He added that the new route will also provide access to other Central Asian, Eastern European and Caucasus regional destinations.
In a statement, the SAR’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific announced plans to launch direct flights to Almaty in the first quarter of 2027.
“The airline plans to operate three flights per week using an Airbus A330-300 widebody aircraft, which will be the only direct service linking Hong Kong and Kazakhstan,” the airline said.
Alongside the aviation breakthrough, Lee confirmed that the SAR is working to substantially extend visa-free access for Hongkongers in Central Asia.
The SAR already has visa-free arrangements with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, allowing stays of between 10 and 30 days.
But Lee said his target is to extend the visa-free period to 30 days for all three nations.
“We and the Kazakh government both agree that this is definitely one of our goals. We have already exchanged some further information with the two governments, and everyone is working hard to work toward this target,” he said.
“We hope that by this year, we can reach the best arrangement.”
He added that Uzbekistan has also signalled its agreement to the proposal following communications before the delegation’s departure, Lee added.
Once agreements with these countries are finalised, the SAR government will seek to facilitate easier entry for the remaining two Central Asian countries.
On Wednesday, Lee is scheduled to visit Astana’s Nazarbayev University, where President Xi Jinping first proposed the concept of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013.
The chief executive said Hong Kong and Kazakhstan can enhance collaboration on education.
“The Education University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, they will be developing a working relationship with the Nazarbayev University, to further expand the collaboration between the higher education institutions of the two places,” he said.
Lee will conclude his stay in Kazakhstan on Wednesday before travelling to Uzbekistan, describing the Astana leg alone as a significant breakthrough – with 43 memoranda of understanding in areas such as economic and trade cooperation, investment, and green finance expected to be signed in the country.
