Kazakhstan and Belgium agreed on Oct. 12 in Astana to deepen cooperation in critical minerals, artificial intelligence and transport, as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and King Philippe endorsed a broader partnership spanning industry, energy and digital technologies.
The agreement came during King Philippe and Queen Mathilde’s state visit, which included talks with Tokayev and the adoption of a joint statement. The leaders highlighted critical minerals as a strategic area and welcomed a roundtable on the subject, while also identifying petrochemicals, manufacturing and renewable energy as fields for closer work. They pointed to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, as an increasingly important link between Europe and Asia, and called for stronger transport and logistics connections.
The statement also outlined potential collaboration in artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, supercomputing infrastructure and data centers. Both sides welcomed the Kazakhstan-Belgium Business Council as a way to build commercial ties, and Tokayev said Belgian investment in Kazakhstan had exceeded $15 billion since 2005. The visit also included a focus on expanding trade and investment, with the leaders presenting the new cooperation agenda as part of a wider effort to strengthen bilateral relations.