Kazakhstan and the European Union Set New Strategic Goals to Deepen Partnership
Astana, 29th of May 2026 – Within the framework of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement the 23rd meeting of the Cooperation Committee in Political Configuration was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Issetov and from the European side Deputy Managing Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the European External Action Service Аudrone Perkauskiene.
The parties held detailed exchange of views on the dynamics of political reforms in Kazakhstan, as well as dialogue in the areas of effective public administration, judicial reform and the rule of law.
Special attention was paid to trade and economic cooperation, including the implementation of the Global Gateway initiative. Kazakhstan and the European Union identified strategic priorities for further strengthening partnership in such areas as enhancing transport and logistics connectivity, green energy, environmental protection, supplies of critical raw materials, and expanding the export potential of Kazakhstan.
The importance of strengthening academic mobility and cooperation between research institutions under the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes was also highlighted.
“The EU remains Kazakhstan’s largest trading and investment partner. Last year, our mutual trade reached 45 billion US dollars. Between 2005 and 2025, the European capital inflow has exceeded 200 billion dollars. Currently, more than 4,000 European companies are successfully operating in our country. We highly value the growing interest of European businesses in Kazakhstan and our region as a reliable partner and strategic transit hub connecting Europe and Asia”, noted Deputy Minister Issetov.
For her part, Аudrone Perkauskiene highly commended the current dynamics of the strategic partnership with Kazakhstan, noting the European Union is eager to deepen cooperation across all directions and joining efforts to tackle common international challenges.
A separate item on the agenda was devoted to discussing prospects for facilitating the visa regime for citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The parties noted the importance of intensifying dialogue and further advancing cooperation in the consular and visa sphere.
Following the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening the partnership between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Union across the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation.
The dialogue platform serves as an active mechanism for discussing the current cooperation agenda and aligning positions between Kazakhstan and the European Union on a wide range of issues involving sectoral government agencies.