Erlan Idrissov, the Kazakhstan ambassador to Britain, confessed to students at the Oxford Union that he found spoof TV presenter Borat's new film "very funny".

The ambassador spoke to students on the night of the premiere for comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

Mr Idrissov told his audience that although he found parts of the movie amusing, the film was not a true reflection of his country, and made "a comedy out of a people who have had so many tragedies in their history".

The ambassador's visit to the union building in St Michael's Street coincided with the London premiere of the film, which was attended by Mr Baron Cohen - the man behind Ali G. Mr Idrissov also gave the talk to celebrate Kazakhstan Republic Day.

The ambassador for the central Asian state insisted on Wednesday night that he liked Mr Baron Cohen, describing him as "a great comedian", and said he welcomed the publicity generated by the film because it provided an opportunity to illustrate the true nature of Kazakhstan.

He added: "Sacha Baron Cohen has created a grotesque character that mocks many imperfections in this (Western) society.

"The film is very funny, but what I saw is not Kazakhstan at all. In fact, I feel sorry for the Americans in the film - how can they be duped into stupid jokes on such a massive scale?"

But he added: "I couldn't get rid of a small feeling of being insulted. Borat is a phenomenon, but I believe it is a shame to make a comedy out of a people who have had so many tragedies in their history, who came through the gulags, the heartache of the communist system, who lost millions of lives.

"It would not be acceptable to mock the Holocaust, so why is it acceptable to mock other tragedies?"

Mr Idrissov spoke of other issues, including the future of political and economic reform in his country.

He said: "We're going towards a sustainable, viable, modern economy and political system. This is our goal.

"We know that we are heavily criticised on our political track record and we are not putting our heads in the sand. But we have to understand our own problems for ourselves, through open, critical, sincere and objective debate - not by listening to irrelevant criticisms.

"Sometimes I think the concept of democracy that has grown up in the West should not be exported to other parts of the world.

"Iraq is a very good example because the Americans have really undermined the concept of democracy there."

At the film's premiere in Leicester Square, Mr Baron Cohen arrived as Borat on a mule-drawn wooden cart, surrounded by a gaggle of waifs and ladies of the night.

He told the crowd: "Good evening, gentlemans and prostitutes. I like you and I like sex. It's nice. After this, I stay in a hotel in King's Cross, you must come and join me.

"We will all drink, wrestle with no clothes on and shoot dogs from the window."

Kazakhstan's president has threatened to sue Mr Baron Cohen and has hired two PR companies to denounce his jokes.