Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is on an official visit to Brussels on June 22-23 at the invitation of European Council President António Costa. The visit comes amid intensified contacts between Kazakhstan and European countries.
During the visit, Tokayev is scheduled to hold talks with António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as a meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Additionally, the Kazakh president will hold a roundtable with heads of major European companies.
The separate meeting with European business representatives underscores that the visit is aimed not only at political dialogue but also at strengthening economic cooperation and attracting investment.
The visit takes place against the backdrop of intensified contacts between Kazakhstan and European countries. Earlier, on June 18-20, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović paid his first-ever visit to Astana. Montenegro is a candidate for EU membership.
The European Union remains Kazakhstan's largest trading partner and investor. Over the past 20 years, European investment in Kazakhstan's economy has exceeded €200 billion. About 80% of all EU trade with Central Asian countries is with Kazakhstan. According to Kazakhstan's Bureau of National Statistics, in January-April 2026, the EU's share in the republic's foreign trade turnover was 27.7% ($12.4 billion).
The sides are also developing cooperation in strategic areas. In 2022, Kazakhstan and the EU signed a memorandum of partnership on sustainable raw materials, batteries, and green hydrogen. Europe is interested in diversifying supplies of critical resources, while Kazakhstan has significant reserves of uranium, lithium, and rare earth metals.
An important area remains the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, Middle Corridor). The EU is investing in the modernization of the Aktau port and Kazakhstan's road infrastructure. Earlier, the European Union announced plans to allocate about €10 billion for the development of this route.
Cooperation in digitalization is also expanding. Under the European Global Gateway program, Brussels plans to allocate about €12 billion to Central Asia for the development of satellite communications, internet infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Kazakhstan, for its part, has proposed creating an innovation campus "Central Asia-EU" based on Astana Hub.
The talks in Brussels reflect mutual interest: for the EU, Kazakhstan is an important partner for diversifying supply chains and developing alternative transport corridors; for Kazakhstan, it is an opportunity to attract Western technologies and increase the share of high value-added products.