We support Kazakhstan?s aspiration to coop with Belgium and EU: K. De Gucht
09:52, 19 June 2009
BRUSSELS. June 19. KAZINFORM /Yerzhan Ospanov/ Kazakh Ambassador to Belgium Yerik Utembayev held a meeting with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht Tuesday. Status and perspectives of cooperation of Kazakhstan with Belgium and the European Union were discussed at the meeting, where members of the Cabinet, heads of departments of the Belgian Foreign Ministry took part.
The sides complimented the dynamics of the political contacts, stressing the importance of the meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries, held in Brussels in March and the negotiations of the Kazakh Foreign Minister with High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and EU Commissar for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
The Kazakh Ambassador stressed that 2010 is a very important year for Kazakhstan, preparing to chair the OSCE, and Belgium that will take over presidency in the Council of the EU. In this regard, K. De Gucht confirmed readiness of Belgium to assist our country in the period of its work in the OSCE Troika.
The head of the Kazakh diplomatic mission spoke for development of a document where the Kazakhstan?s and the EU vision of the development and extension of economic cooperation by 2030, including a list of perspective projects in the field of energy, transport, oil chemistry, nuclear energy, transfer of informational technologies, agriculture, innovative technologies, etc. would be defined.
K. De Gucht interested in the prospects of the Kazakh-Belgian cooperation in the field of energy, transportation of the raw hydrocarbon deposits, development of oil-and-gas and harbor infrastructures. The Belgian Minister supported the initiative of the Kazakh side on establishment of cooperation with Antwerp province, the Governor of which will visit Astana, Almaty and Aktau in September.
The Kazakh Ambassador briefed the Belgian Foreign Minister on the process of realization of the measures on post-crisis development of Kazakhstan. He also noted the strengthening of the role of our state in the Central Asian region and laid emphasize on the international initiatives of Astana, aimed at strengthening of the regional and global security and stability. In particular, the importance of holding of the coming NATO/ EAPC Forum in Astana was pointed out.