As OSCE Chair, Kazakhstan intends to develop cooperation with int'l, regional organizations - Head of Kazakhstan Mission to EU and NATO

The development of relations with the state considered the heart of Europe is a foreign policy priority for Kazakhstan as OSCE Chair. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Belgium, Luxembourg, Head of Kazakhstan's Mission to the EU and NATO Yerik Utembayev told about the status and prospects of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Belgium in his interview with Kazinform.

This year Kazakhstan chairs the OSCE. In the second half of 2010 Belgium will chair the Council of the European Union. In what direction the two countries as well as two organizations can develop cooperation?

Belgium is one the most important partners of Kazakhstan in the EU, OSCE, UN and other international and regional institutions. The relations between the EU and the OSCE have a specific character since the EU member states represent nearly a half (27 out of 56) of the OSCE participating states. The EU member states are the main contributors to the OSCE budget. The dialogue between the two organizations is maintained through regular ministerial or diplomatic meetings, weekly expert consultations.

As is known, Kazakhstan has initiated the holding of the OSCE Summit during its chairmanship in the organization. The initiative of Astana was backed by the organization participants at the Conference of the OSCE Foreign Ministers in Athens in December 2009. A number of EU states have already confirmed their support. Kazakhstan intends to maximally use the potential of cooperation with other international regional institutions including the European Union. We are ready to take into account any comments and suggestions of the European side with the purpose of developing the most optimal agenda of the OSCE Summit.

What can you say about the current level of bilateral relations of Kazakhstan with the countries where you are accredited as Ambassador?

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations the political contacts between Kazakhstan and Belgium are characterized by high intensity. The President of Kazakhstan twice paid official visits to Brussels in 1993 and 2000. And his working visit in December 2006 - the last month of Belgium's presidency over the OSCE - served a powerful impulse to the development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, NATO, Belgium and Luxemburg.

The ministries of foreign affairs of Kazakhstan and Belgium maintain regular contacts. The visit of OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Secretary of State - Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Saudabayev to Brussels, where he met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium Steven Vanackere, was of paramount importance in light of bringing bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level.

Attaching much significance to the Caspian and Central Asian region the Government of Belgium decided to open an embassy in Astana in January 2006. The embassy also deals with the issues of bilateral relations with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

A significant impetus to the Kazakh-Luxembourg cooperation was given by the meeting of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev with Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker in December 2006 when they discussed the status and prospects of bilateral relations.

On January 12, 2010 I had a meeting with the Head of Luxembourg Government, who welcomed the beginning of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE and absolutely supported the initiative of Astana to convene the OSCE Summit this year. Mr. Juncker positively estimated the balanced foreign policy of Kazakhstan aimed at ensuring regional and global security and stability.

How does Kazakhstan develop economic cooperation with Belgium and Luxembourg? What industries are of greatest interest for doing business with these states?

The talks with Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt held in Brussels in December 2006 helped activate trade-economic relations. The meeting resulted in the signing of intergovernmental agreements on international road transport and on mutual administrative assistance in customs matters. Commercial and Economic Representation of Wallonia (Belgium) AWEX was opened in Almaty in 2008. This also showed the intention of the Belgian side to develop long-term cooperation with Kazakhstan.

The Kazakh Program of Forced Industrial-Innovative Development opens new prospects for boosting economic cooperation with the EU states, particularly Belgium. The priority will be given to the projects on production of goods with high added value in such industries as agriculture, construction, metallurgy, chemistry and pharmaceuticals, transport and communications, energy.

One of the key tasks of the new industrial policy will be attraction of foreign capital. A number of projects is already underway. For instance, Kazakhstan is working on establishing contacts with the Nuclear Research Centre (CEN) in the city of Mol, Institute of Micro-, Bio- and Nanotechnologies IMEC in Leuven as well as the companies Nanocyl and DNA Vision in Wallonia.

A very important document for the development of trade-economic and financial cooperation between Kazakhstan and Luxembourg was signed during the visit of Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker to Kazakhstan in June 2008. This is an intergovernmental convention on double taxation avoidance. Then Almaty held the business forum with the participation of 30 large companies and banks of Luxembourg and agencies Luxembourg for Finance and Luxembourg for business.

The prospects of expansion of bilateral cooperation and interaction within the framework of international and regional institutions were discussed during my recent meeting with Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn. It was noted that the political cooperation should develop along with the enhancement of trade-economic partnership.

In recent years trade-economic cooperation between our states has grown despite the world crisis.