Erlan idrissov was born in Karkaraly, Karaganda oblast, Kazakhstan and is the current Ambassador of his country to the United Kingdom. He is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the MFA of the USSR. He was Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister from 1999-2002 and 2012-2016.His appointment was widely speculated by analysts in the West as a sign of Nazarbayev’s intentions to maintain strong relations with the west and during his time as foreign minister, sought to improve relations with states in the South and Central Asia region.

From 1985 to 1990, he served as MFA of the Kazakh SSR. From 1992 to 1995, he became secretaryof the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the UN, New York. In 1996-1997, he was Assistant to the President of Kazakhstan on international issues. In 2002, Erlan was Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom. In 2007, he became the nation’s Ambassador to the United States.

In his spare time, Erlan enjoys lawn tennis, ice-hockey, golf, horse-riding, and travelling.