Brussels, 24 November 2025 — At the Press Club Brussels Europe, one of the EU’s leading media and expert platforms, a keynote address was delivered by the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belgium and Head of Mission to the EU and NATO, Roman Vassilenko, marking the 10th anniversary of the Kazakhstan–EU Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA).

As noted by the Ambassador, Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian state to sign and ratify this new-generation agreement, which covers 29 areas of cooperation.

He highlighted the dynamic growth of political dialogue between Astana and Brussels: in 2024–2025, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with the leadership of the European Council and the European Commission, the “Central Asia – EU” Summit was held in Samarkand, and an upcoming meeting of the Kazakhstan–EU Cooperation Council at the level of foreign ministers further confirms the strategic nature of the partnership.

The European Union retains its position as Kazakhstan’s largest trade and investment partner: bilateral trade in 2024 reached $50 billion, EU investment since independence exceeded $200 billion, and around 4,000 European companies successfully operate in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan continues to play a key role in Europe’s energy security, supplying 13% of the EU’s oil imports and 16% of its uranium needs. Cooperation is also expanding in the field of critical raw materials: Kazakhstan has the potential to supply 21 out of the 34 elements identified under EU legislation, and the Sarytogan Graphite project has been included in the EU’s list of strategic initiatives.

Ambassador Vassilenko also emphasized the importance of developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route — the Middle Corridor — whose role in reshaping Eurasian logistics continues to grow. Kazakhstan hosts 13 international transport corridors, carrying 85% of overland transit between Asia and Europe. The country has invested more than $35 billion in modernizing its transport sector and plans to invest a further $15 billion by 2030.

He also noted the achievements in inter-parliamentary cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, welcoming the decision of EU Member States to grant the European Commission a mandate to launch negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission — an important step toward strengthening ties between citizens of Kazakhstan and EU countries.

The discussion at Press Club Brussels Europe reaffirmed the strong interest of the European expert community in Kazakhstan as a strategic partner of the EU in sustainable development, energy security, regional stability and the modernization of global supply chains. The event demonstrated that Kazakhstan and the European Union continue to build a mature, forward-looking partnership based on shared goals and a commitment to strengthening the international order.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-brussels/press/news/details/1111552?lang=kk