Kazakhstan and Belgium identify new areas for bilateral cooperation
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and King Philippe of the Belgians adopted a joint statement outlining key areas of bilateral cooperation, Qazinform News Agency reports via Akorda.
At the invitation of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, His Majesty King Philippe of the Belgians and Her Majesty Queen Mathilde paid a State Visit to Kazakhstan on 11–14 October 2026.
His Excellency the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and His Majesty King Philippe of the Belgians held an in-depth discussion on the current state and prospects for the further development of Kazakhstan–Belgium relations and exchanged views on topical issues on the regional and international agenda.
Reaffirming their commitment to the further development and deepening of friendly relations between Kazakhstan and Belgium in the spirit of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation, the Parties:
1. noted that bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and Belgium is developing through close dialogue and in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect;
2. expressed their readiness to continue close cooperation within the framework of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan, of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part, of 21 December 2015;
3. noted with satisfaction the sustained presence of Belgian businesses in Kazakhstan and the considerable potential for further growth in mutual trade and investment;
4. welcomed the activities of the Kazakhstan–Belgium Business Council and the holding of its fourth meeting during the State Visit as an important mechanism for developing ties between the business communities of the two countries;
5. reaffirmed the importance of further developing cooperation in the fields of critical minerals, petrochemicals, industry and mechanical engineering, transport and logistics, and renewable energy;
6. underlining the strategic importance of cooperation in the field of critical minerals, welcomed the holding of the Round Table on Critical Minerals during the State Visit;
7. noted the importance of further developing transport and logistics cooperation and enhancing connectivity between Europe and Asia, and underscored the growing role of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route as a reliable and sustainable transport link between Asia and Europe;
8. noted the growing importance of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and innovation for the sustainable economic development and competitiveness of the two countries;
9. expressed their interest in developing cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data, cloud technologies, supercomputing infrastructure and data centres;
10. underscored the significant potential for cooperation in agriculture and expressed their intention to facilitate the expansion of mutual trade in agricultural products, the development of the food industry and the introduction of modern agricultural technologies;
11. welcomed the holding of the Kazakhstan–Belgium Rectors’ Forum during the State Visit and expressed support for the development of joint educational programmes, academic mobility, joint scientific research and partnerships between universities and research centres;
12. reaffirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation in healthcare, including enhancing the role of primary health care (PHC) within the framework of the World Health Organization Global Coalition for PHC, based on the principles of the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care and the 2018 Astana Declaration, and implementing joint initiatives in accordance with the agreements to be reached following the conference “Towards the 50th Anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration: Building Strong Primary Health Care for Future Generations”, to be held on 14 October 2026 in Almaty;
13. reaffirmed the importance of further strengthening interreligious and intercultural dialogue and promoting a culture of peace, mutual respect and tolerance;
14. underscored the importance of joint efforts to address climate change, water scarcity and environmental degradation, as well as to promote sustainable development;
15. welcomed the entry into force of the Protocol amending the Agreement between Kazakhstan and the Benelux countries on the exemption from visa requirements for holders of service passports, dated 7 November 2024;
16. endeavour to conclude negotiations and sign a bilateral agreement on remunerated employment of family members of diplomatic missions as a deliverable for the celebration of 35 years of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kingdom of Belgium in 2027.
17. reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, the principles of international law and the central role of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security, ensuring sustainable development and addressing global challenges;
18. agreed to intensify bilateral political dialogue on issues of the international agenda and economic development within the United Nations, the OSCE, as well as multilateral platforms in the Kazakhstan–EU and Central Asia–EU formats;
19. expressed their interest in further strengthening the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction of 10 April 1972;
His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and His Majesty King Philippe of the Belgians expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the talks and reaffirmed their mutual determination to give new impetus to the Kazakhstan–Belgium partnership.
The Parties expressed confidence that the first State Visit of the King of the Belgians to Kazakhstan would mark an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations and lay the foundation for their further qualitative development.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed the Belgian royal couple in the Akorda presidential residence.
The Head of State and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium proceeded to hold narrow-format talks. King Philippe revealed Belgium was keen to elevate cooperation with Kazakhstan to a new level.