Kazakhstan-Belgium Cooperation Continues Expanding

March 10, 2022, Brussels – Kazakh Ambassador M. Baimukhan met with Jeroen Cooreman, the newly appointed Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium. 

The parties discussed the state and prospects of Kazakh-Belgian relations, as well as the implementation of the agreements reached during the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Brussels in November 2021.

A separate topic of the conversation was the political and socio-economic reforms initiated by the Head of State, as well as the issues arising from the volatile situation around transport and transit corridors following the sanctions measures in the region. 

On the bilateral track, the diplomats noted positive dynamics in many areas of bilateral cooperation. The high political dialogue, active inter-parliamentary ties, trade and investment partnership, expansion of the regulatory framework between the countries were emphasized. Belgium is already among the top ten largest foreign investors of Kazakhstan. By the end of 2021, Belgian enterprises accounted for about 10 billion EUR direct investment. In the field of higher education, the number of Kazakh students in Belgium increased from 20 in 2017 up to 200 in 2021.

The parties agreed to consider the possibility of holding the next round of inter-ministerial political consultations by the end of 2022, and also outlined a number of events in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the Kingdom of Belgium.