Kazakh Ambassador Roman Vassilenko met with Belgian Federal Minister for Mobility, Climate, Ecological Transition and Sustainable Development, Jean-Luc Crucke, Qazinform News Agency cites the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. Ahead of the first-ever State Visit of His Majesty King Philippe of the Belgians to Kazakhstan, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belgium Roman Vassilenko held a meeting with Belgium’s Federal Minister for Mobility, Climate, Ecological Transition and Sustainable Development, Jean-Luc Crucke, on October 6.
The sides discussed prospects for expanding Kazakhstan-Belgium cooperation in transport and logistics, renewable energy, industrial decarbonisation, critical raw materials, green technologies and sustainable development. Particular attention was paid to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) and to attracting advanced Belgian technologies and investment for the modernisation of Kazakhstan’s transport and energy infrastructure.
The Ambassador highlighted the considerable potential for deeper industrial and technological cooperation. Kazakhstan produces 21 of the 34 raw materials identified as critical by the European Union and is interested in moving from raw material exports towards deeper processing, technology transfer and the development of high-value-added production jointly with Belgian and European partners.
Particular attention was also given to the upcoming State Visit of the Belgian monarch to Kazakhstan, in which Minister Crucke is expected to participate. The sides expressed confidence that the visit would give additional impetus to practical cooperation and help identify new joint projects in areas falling within the Minister’s portfolio.
During the conversation, Jean-Luc Crucke warmly recalled his previous visit to Astana in 2019 in his capacity as Walloon Minister responsible for Budget, Finance, Airports and Sports Infrastructure, in connection with a football match between the national teams of Kazakhstan and Belgium.
He particularly recalled his visit to the synagogue in the Kazakh capital and spoke positively about the atmosphere of interfaith harmony in the country. In this context, the Ambassador underlined the particular importance Kazakhstan traditionally attaches to strengthening interethnic and interfaith harmony.
The sides also discussed prospects for cooperation in ecology and environmental protection, including decarbonisation, the circular economy, the sustainable use of natural resources and the introduction of green technologies. The meeting reaffirmed the mutual interest in further developing pragmatic and project-oriented cooperation between Kazakhstan and Belgium, combining economic growth and industrial modernisation with the achievement of climate objectives.
As written earlier, Kazakhstan and Belgium are set to deepen trade, logistics, and digital technologies cooperation.