Kazakhstan and Belgium: Focus on Constructive Cooperation

BRUSSELS, May 27, 2021 - The Chairman of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Nurlan Nigmatulin held online negotiations with the Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament of the Kingdom of Belgium, Ms. Eliane Tillieux. During the talks, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of Kazakh-Belgian cooperation, as well as issues of strengthening the inter-parliamentary dialogue between the two countries.

Mr. N. Nigmatulin spoke about the historical role of the First President of Kazakhstan - Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev in the formation of Kazakh-Belgian relations, political reforms initiated by the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, as well as the political reforms aimed at expanding dialogue between the state and society.

For her part, the Belgian politician, underlining the important role of women in political life, welcomed the growing number of women in the Kazakh Parliament. According to Ms. E.Tillieux, «Kazakhstan is a young, dynamic country with a number of advantages».

In the context of legislative support of the economic development, the parties discussed the cooperation prospects in the fields of energy, renewables, technology and innovation, science and education. The parliamentarians also discussed issues of diversifying the economy and attracting investment. Belgium is already one of the largest investors in Kazakhstan’s economy: Belgian companies account for about $9 billion USD in direct investments in Kazakhstan.

Effective interaction in the healthcare sector was a separate topic of the negotiations. The Belgian lawmaker commended Kazakhstan’s contribution to the efforts of the international community in the fight against Covid-19, the development of the «QazVac» vaccine. The parties agree that the cooperation in the pharmaceutical field needs further boosting, including with Belgian biopharmaceutical companies operating in the Kazakhstani market.

As part of the expansion of the Kazakh-Belgian inter-parliamentary dialogue, as an important component of all-round cooperation and mutual trust between Kazakhstan and Belgium, the speakers expressed confidence in the prospects of effective interaction between cooperation groups, as well as specialized committees.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. N. Nigmatulin invited Ms. E.Tillieux to pay an official visit to Kazakhstan.

Belgium is an important political and economic partner of Kazakhstan. For the period 2005-2020, the volume of Belgian investments in the economy of Kazakhstan amounted to 8.9 billion US dollars. In 2020, the volume of trade between Kazakhstan and Belgium reached to USD 322 million.

Ms. E.Tillieux is the first woman in the history of the Belgian parliament to become speaker of the lower house. Before her, 51 men chaired the House of Representatives.

Photo: Zh.Kuspanova, Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan