Despite budget cutbacks across the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Britain opened its new embassy in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.

The British government has previously said UK embassies’ main role is to drive trade and business but Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country with few natural resources which has gained a reputation for ethnic violence and revolutions over the last few years. Opening an embassy in Bishkek was not a decision driven by business interests and the FCO said as much in a statement.

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