From resources to technology: What Kazakhstan-Belgium talks in Astana revealed

“L’union fait la force”

Belgium has firmly established itself as one of Kazakhstan’s key economic partners. In 2025, it became the country’s fifth-largest investor, while total Belgian investment over the past two decades exceeded $15.2 billion. Bilateral trade also continues to show steady momentum, reaching $582.8 million in 2025. These figures confirm that cooperation is developing beyond raw materials into areas where technological and logistical expertise matters.

The history of Kazakhstan-Belgium relations also includes memorable milestones that add cultural and symbolic context. Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne travelled into orbit from Baikonur twice, writing Kazakhstan into Europe’s shared space history and making the cosmodrome part of the collective memory of cooperation.

This is why Belgium’s national motto, “L’union fait la force,” meaning “Unity is strength,” resonates so naturally with the Kazakh saying “Birlik bar zherde tirlik bar,” or “Where there is unity, there is life.” The shared values expressed in these sayings provide a foundation for friendship and a new phase of cooperation. The monarch’s historic visit reinforced Kazakhstan’s status as a reliable European partner and opened a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

“Europe is undergoing a major realignment in its relations with Central Asia, and the Belgian monarch’s visit clearly confirmed this process. Brussels openly declared its intention to diversify its partnerships and strengthen ties with Kazakhstan as Central Asia’s largest economy. The Middle Corridor, digitalization, artificial intelligence, education and medicine are increasingly prominent on the European agenda. This broadening range of interests is making our country a leader in the regional architecture and a key hub through which Europe builds its dialogue with Central Asia. King Philippe’s visit therefore became a kind of test of Europe’s renewed interest in Kazakhstan. The monarch, as the saying goes, is paving the way for further technology and business contracts,” says political scientist Boris Polomarchuk.

From Caspian ports to digital hubs

Kazakhstan can indeed offer much more today than raw materials alone. This includes access to the Middle Corridor, digital solutions, artificial intelligence projects, and educational and medical initiatives. Europe understands the considerable value of a stable and predictable partner it can rely on for long-term projects during a period of geopolitical uncertainty.

The business component of the royal couple’s visit therefore demonstrated that the focus was on concrete agreements capable of changing the nature of bilateral cooperation.

An equally important outcome was the agreement on developing transport and logistics infrastructure. Its focus is the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, where Kazakhstan intends to draw on the experience of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, one of Europe’s largest logistics hubs. Discussions during the visit addressed establishing a direct partnership between Antwerp-Bruges and Kazakhstan’s ports of Aktau and Kuryk, including the introduction of smart port technologies and specialist training.

According to Boris Polomarchuk, a distinct strategic rationale is now taking shape around the Middle Corridor. It is more than a transport route; it is part of a broader European strategy to diversify trade routes between Europe and Asia.

“The connections look impressive: Kazakhstan’s ports of Aktau and Kuryk, access to the Caspian Sea, then the Caucasus and Türkiye, and from there to Europe, including Antwerp, one of the world’s largest logistics hubs. This creates a potential Eurasian supply chain in which Kazakhstan plays a key role,” the expert says.

When agreements are endorsed at the highest level, they send a signal to businesses. As the expert emphasizes, the involvement of European companies in this route accelerates integration.

In critical minerals, the parties agreed to move from raw materials trade towards establishing joint processing facilities. Kazakhstan produces 18 of the 34 critical raw materials identified by the EU, while Belgium has expertise in the chemical industry and metallurgy. Joint projects in metal processing and industrial component manufacturing will help build resilient production chains for the European market and strengthen Kazakhstan’s position as a supplier of both resources and finished products.

“The transition from predominantly raw materials trade to joint production with higher added value appears promising. This includes metal processing, industrial component manufacturing and the development of resilient production chains for the European market,” comments Alisher Abdrashev, a leading expert in the Department of European and American Studies at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The political scientist considers the agreements reached on industrial cooperation and investment another important outcome of the visit.

“The presence in Kazakhstan of Belgian companies such as Jan De Nul, Sarens and Ahlers Logistics already provides a foundation for expanding cooperation. The most promising areas are infrastructure construction, mechanical engineering, petrochemicals, industrial equipment manufacturing and the introduction of modern engineering solutions. Priority should be given to projects involving local production, the training of Kazakh specialists and technology transfer,” says Alisher Abdrashev.

A separate set of agreements covers digitalization and innovation. In the future, this cooperation could also extend to the space sector, where Belgium’s expertise in satellite technologies complements Kazakhstan’s capabilities in space infrastructure.

“Astana and Brussels have complementary capabilities in AI, industrial automation, cybersecurity and the digital management of urban infrastructure. In September 2026, discussions addressed the possibility of establishing a partnership between the Belgian technology hub The Beacon and Astana Hub. Its practical value lies in implementing joint technology projects, startup exchanges and the introduction of digital solutions in industry and logistics,” the expert says.

Science creates the future, culture builds trust

However, financial and technological contracts gain real substance only when supported by a strong foundation in science and education. More than ten agreements were also signed with universities in Antwerp, Ghent, Hasselt, Leuven, Howest and Mons at the Kazakhstan-Belgium Rectors’ Forum, “Artificial Intelligence: Higher Education and Scientific Research.”

These agreements establish a sustainable academic platform, provide access to European research networks and create conditions for training specialists capable of working on an equal footing with their European colleagues.

Cooperation in science and education is particularly significant. A joint AI Math Lab is being established at the Alem.AI international center under the EU’s Horizon Europe program.

The humanitarian dimension of King Philippe’s visit to Kazakhstan offered important confirmation that bilateral relations extend beyond economics and politics. The rectors’ forum demonstrated that university cooperation is moving beyond a simple student exchange model. The focus today is on establishing joint laboratories, research groups and international projects, promoting academic mobility for both students and faculty, and training specialists to a new standard.

“Culture was long considered secondary, yet it creates the trust that diplomatic notes cannot secure. The exhibition of Belgian modernist James Ensor in Astana and a contemporary dance project in Almaty became symbols of the connection between heritage and modernity. Cultural diplomacy creates a space where societies begin to discover one another directly, without politicians acting as intermediaries,” says Boris Polomarchuk.

The cultural and humanitarian program of the royal couple’s visit to Kazakhstan took on particular significance during their visit to the National Center for Children’s Rehabilitation in Astana. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde learned about the institution’s work in providing comprehensive medical, psychological, educational and social support to children with various developmental disorders.

Queen Mathilde showed sincere interest in these initiatives. She spoke with children and their parents, listened attentively to medical specialists and took part in the center’s interactive program.

Her Majesty also showed a deep interest in Kazakh culture and spiritual heritage. At the National Museum, she carefully examined displays devoted to the people’s history and traditions, asking questions about the symbolism of artifacts and their significance for contemporary Kazakhstan.

At the President’s residence, the royal couple viewed purebred horses presented to Kazakhstan by foreign heads of state. They listened with keen interest to an account of the horses’ origins and care, and watched a demonstration of traditional equestrian games.

The Belgian royal couple’s visit to Kazakhstan also attracted considerable attention in the international press. Paris Match Belgique, La Libre, Le Soir, VRT NWS, Histoires Royales and other leading European publications covered the cultural and humanitarian program. A photograph of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde against the backdrop of Astana’s Baiterek monument circulated worldwide and became one of the visit’s most widely reproduced images, reinforcing its significance as a historic event in Kazakhstan-Belgium relations.

The royal couple’s visit outlined a broad portfolio of agreements, ranging from agricultural technologies and logistics to science and digital innovation. Their practical value lies in Kazakhstan gaining both investment and expertise that will remain within the country, supporting long-term development and translating Europe’s attention into concrete strategic partnership projects.

The Astana leg of the visit demonstrated Kazakhstan and Belgium’s determination to broaden the economic foundation of their relations. Resources and trade flows, technology, scientific expertise and production are central to the agreements. The extent to which this approach changes the structure of the partnership will be demonstrated by the projects that follow the agreements reached at the highest level.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency published a special review of foreign media coverage of the historic visit, highlighting the first-ever state visit to Kazakhstan by a reigning Belgian monarch, high-level talks between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and King Philippe on expanding bilateral cooperation, and opportunities for joint investment in critical minerals, industrial processing and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.