Distinguished colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome all of you to today’s briefing.

Kazakhstan and the European Union enjoy a solid, long-standing strategic partnership grounded in mutual respect, shared interests and goals, and a commitment to the law based international order, grounded in the principles of the United Nations Charter.

This December, we will celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the European Union and its Member States.

Kazakhstan thus became the first among Central Asian countries to sign and ratify this “new generation” agreement.

It serves as a comprehensive framework for our political, economic, and sectoral cooperation across 29 areas.

We value our engagement with the EU as our leading trade and investment partner, but also as a key partner on many global challenges, from climate change and connectivity to regional security and sustainable development.

I would like to point out a very dynamic political dialogue that we have established with the European Union.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held bilateral meetings with Presidents of the European Council António Costa and European Commission Ursula von der Leyen last April in Samarkand.

Our leaders participated in the Central Asia – European Union Summit, where the partnership between the two regions was elevated to a strategic level.

Last September, President Tokayev met with António Costa on the sidelines of the 80^th session of the United Nation’s General Assembly in New York.

In addition, next week Brussels will host the 22nd meeting of the Kazakhstan–EU Cooperation Council at a ministerial level .

The leaders will review EPCA implementation and discuss our rapidly expanding agenda, including trade, investment, humanitarian ties, and political dialogue that will continue at the highest level in the very near future.

The meetings in Samarkand and New York, in Astana and Brussels underscored shared priorities: expanding cooperation in connectivity, critical minerals, digital innovation, agriculture, and education.

Over the recent years, we have witnessed how Kazakhstan’s relationship with the EU has continued growing stronger and more dynamic.

Despite geopolitical turmoil and global economic instability, the EU remains Kazakhstan’s largest trading and investment partner, with the bilateral trade volume nearing 50 billion US dollars in 2024. In fact, Kazakhstan accounts for 90% of the EU’s trade turnover with Central Asia. This year it also remains central to our economy and strategic partnerships.

Since Kazakhstan’s independence, the EU has invested more than 200 billion dollars into Kazakh economy, and about 4,000 European companies operate successfully in our country.

We reaffirm our determination to further diversify and expand these ties, creating new opportunities for our businesses and citizens.

Particular attention is paid to expanding access to the EU market for agricultural products of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan remains a reliable and responsible partner of the European Union, contributing significantly to Europe’s wider energy security.

Kazakhstan supplies around 13% of the EU’s oil consumption and approximately 16% of its uranium needs, making us a stable pillar in Europe’s diversified and resilient energy architecture.

In this regard, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the continued, secure, and uninterrupted supply of Kazakh oil to the EU market.

In our talks, particular attention is being devoted to the Middle Corridor – a vital and strategic route connecting Asia and Europe.

As global supply chains undergo transformation, the importance of this Trans-Caspian route becomes ever more evident.

Located at the heart of Eurasia, Kazakhstan serves as a key bridge between East and West.

As President Tokayev stated in his State-of-the-Nation Address last September, the development of transport and logistics infrastructure has become one of our national priorities.

13 international transport corridors crossing Kazakhstan – 5 railways and 8 motorways – carry around 85% of overland freight between Asia and Europe.

Over the past 15 years, we have invested more than 35 billion dollars in the modernization of the transport sector, resulting in its sustained growth.

By 2030, Kazakhstan will invest an additional 15 billion dollars to further strengthen connectivity, including new rail links to China and Afghanistan (with further access to the market of Pakistan), and, as well as the construction and modernization of 13,000 kilometres of highways.

Air connectivity is also expanding, with Kazakhstan now having direct air connections to 30 countries.

Not stopping there, we are ready to expand air traffic with the European Union under the Open Skies policy.

Digital transformation and large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence remain central to our vision.

The upcoming “Smart Cargo” platform will integrate customs and logistics processes, contributing to Kazakhstan’s goal of becoming a fully digital state.

Speaking in details about the Transcaspian International Transport Route, the Middle Corridor has already demonstrated significant growth.

Its current capacity stands at 6 million tons per year. By the end of 2024, cargo volumes had increased by 62% year-on-year, reaching 4.5 million tons.

It is expected to reach 5.2 million tons this year.

By 2028, we aim to expand the corridor’s capacity to 10 million tons annually.

Positive developments in the South Caucasus, meaning ongoing preparations for the signing of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, further strengthen the Corridor.

During President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Kazakhstan last October, a historic announcement lifted all transit restrictions to Armenia.

The first shipments of Kazakh grain have already reached their destination – a concrete step that builds trust, strengthens regional ties, and reminds us that connectivity is also a path to peace. 

As we can see, the Middle Corridor is evolving beyond a mere transport route. It is becoming a strategic partnership platform that connects economies, technologies, and people.

These joint efforts strengthen Eurasia’s connectivity and align with the EU’s Global Gateway and China’s Belt and Road initiatives, which we view as complementary to each other.

Moreover, we see many mutually beneficial opportunities in terms of possible synergy between the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network policy (TEN-T), and the efforts of Central Asian countries to develop transport connectivity

We would like to call on the EU, its member states as well as financial institutions to move faster and focus on practical implementations of the 2023 EBRD report findings on both hard and soft infrastructures in Central Asia.

Kazakhstan is committed to working closely with the European Union and all regional partners to ensure that the Middle Corridor evolves into a modern, efficient, safe, and sustainable artery of cross-regional trade.

Another forward-looking dimension of our cooperation is our work on critical raw materials and the broader green and digital transitions.

Kazakhstan possesses both natural potential and strong political will to develop this sector in a responsible and mutually beneficial way.

Kazakhstan can supply 21 of the 34 elements identified in the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, with more deposits under preparation for future extraction.

We already export copper, chromium, titanium, phosphorus, beryllium, tantalum, and manganese to the European market.

Our joint work under the 2025-2026 Road Map – including the Sarytogan Graphite Project’s inclusion onto the EU’s list of Strategic Projects – demonstrates how seriously both sides take this agenda.

Our cooperation with the EU on CRM value chains is emerging as one of the most promising areas – an area that will support Europe’s industrial resilience while enabling Kazakhstan to modernize its economy.

I would also like to highlight the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation, which forms the democratic backbone of our political dialogue.

Last week, Brussels hosted the 22^nd meeting of the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, which was productive and encouraging.

It demonstrated once again that our partnership is strengthened not only by governments but also by the active engagement of legislators, experts, and civil societies on both sides.

Equally important are the people-to-people contacts that serve as the living bridge between our nations.

Education, cultural exchange, academic mobility, and youth cooperation are essential pillars of a lasting partnership.

In this context, we warmly welcome the decision by the EU Member States to grant the European Commission mandates to negotiate visa facilitation and readmission agreements with Kazakhstan.

This decision represents a significant step toward bringing our peoples even closer, enabling greater mobility, more opportunities for students and professionals, and deeper mutual understanding.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today Kazakhstan and the European Union have built a mature, confident, and future-oriented partnership.

It is a partnership rooted in shared values, enriched by mutual interests, and guided by a common vision of regional and global stability.

As we look to the next decade of cooperation, we remain committed to working hand-in-hand with the European Union – expanding our strategic dialogue, strengthening economic ties, enhancing regional connectivity, and nurturing the human bonds that sustain every successful partnership.

I am confident that, together, we will continue to transform our shared goals into concrete achievements for the benefit of our peoples.

Thank you.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-brussels/press/news/details/1112461?lang=kk