Belgium invested over $15 billion in Kazakhstan's economy since 2005 - President Tokayev
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and King Philippe of Belgium held a press briefing following the talks held in an extended format, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Akorda press service.
In his remarks, the Head of State once again emphasized that the historic state visit of the King and Queen of the Belgians opens a new and distinguished chapter in the history of bilateral relations and stands as a vivid testament to the friendship between the peoples of Kazakhstan and Belgium.
“Your Majesty, under your wise and strong leadership, Belgium stands as a nation united in its diversity and open to the world. Your devotion to your people and your tireless efforts to strengthen understanding among Belgium’s communities embody the unifying role of the Crown. In these challenging times, your moral authority and unwavering sense of duty inspire confidence and deserve deep respect. I sincerely appreciate your friendship and unwavering commitment to strengthening ties with Kazakhstan over many years. I am delighted that we can mark that bond together today. Owing much to your tireless efforts and profound support, we look to the future of our cooperation with great optimism and aspiration,” the President said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined some of the outcomes of the fruitful negotiations, which took place in an open, friendly, and constructive atmosphere.
“We reaffirmed our determination to strengthen the multifaceted partnership between both Kazakhstan and Belgium. Our relations are free from political differences or outstanding issues. This provides a solid foundation to enhance our cooperation across all areas. Economic cooperation remains a cornerstone of our partnership. Belgium is among Kazakhstan’s leading investment partners, with over 15 billion US dollars invested in our economy since 2005. We agreed to pursue new opportunities in transport and logistics, critical minerals, energy, industry, agriculture, biotechnology, digitalization and space technologies. I welcome the participation of representatives of many leading Belgian businesses in this historic visit. This clearly demonstrates Belgium’s confidence in Kazakhstan’s economic potential. Our Government will continue to create favorable conditions for Belgian investors to expand their presence and pursue new opportunities in Kazakhstan. Their full and timely implementation will be under my personal monitoring and control,” the Head of State assured.
As the President noted, the Kazakh-Belgian Business Forum, the Rectors’ Forum and Roundtable on Critical Minerals scheduled for tomorrow will serve as an important platform for translating shared aspirations into tangible results.
Dozens of bilateral agreements and documents are expected to be signed following these events, giving additional impetus to the development of the partnership.
Earlier, Tokayev said that Belgium was among the top 10 largest investors in Kazakhstan’s economy.