Belgium is among Kazakhstan’s leading investment partners and the two states’ relations carry no political disagreements or unresolved questions, Tokayev said, naming transport and logistics, critical minerals, energy, industry, agriculture, biotechnology, digitalisation and space as the fields for new work. The full and timely realisation of the Belgian companies’ projects would be under his personal control, he said.
The joint statement the two heads of state adopted names critical minerals, petrochemicals, industry and engineering, transport and logistics and renewable energy as the sectors of cooperation, welcomes the critical-minerals round table held inside the visit and stresses the growing role of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route as a reliable link between Asia and Europe, Zakon.kz printed from the text. It proposes political dialogue in the Central Asia and EU format and welcomes a protocol amending the Benelux visa-exemption agreement for official passports.
The full and timely realisation of the Belgian companies’ projects would be under his personal control, he said.
The trade behind the visit is small against the investment figure. Turnover with Belgium ran to $353.1 million in January to August, up 9%, with exports of $183.7 million and imports of $169.4 million, by Qaztrade’s figures as Kazinform reported them from the industry ministry. Molybdenum ores, titanium, flaxseed and wheat lead the exports, and vice minister Olzhas Saparbekov named battery materials, heat-resistant alloys, semiconductor materials and permanent magnets as the four lines Astana wants to sell through the port of Antwerp.