Ahead of the first summit between the leaders of the European Union and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on April 4, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas travelled to the Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, where she focused on the close cooperation between Brussels and Astana.
Rounding up her visit of Central Asia, Kallas reiterated that Kazakhstan is a very important partner to the EU and Brussels’ commitment to deepen its relationship with the Central Asian country, especially in environmental issues, energy, and trade.
During her meeting with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on March 28, they discussed the prospects for comprehensive cooperation between Kazakhstan, especially expanding trade and economic partnerships in priority areas such as energy, industry, digitalization, and the implementation of major infrastructure projects aimed at developing the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TITR), the presidential press service Akorda said in a press release.
As Kallas noted, Kazakhstan was the first country in the region to sign the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU, which demonstrates a high level of bilateral relations. During the meeting, the EU’s top diplomat announced the launch of visa facilitation negotiations between the European Commission and Kazakhstan.
For his part, Tokayev stressed that Kazakhstan views this development very positively, as it opens broad opportunities for strengthening interpersonal contacts and business ties with European countries.
They exchanged views on pressing issues of the international and regional agenda. The President of Kazakhstan highlighted the importance of demonstrating caution and responsibility in assessing the challenging situations in the world. As a former senior UN official, President Tokayev underlined Kazakhstan’s unwavering commitment to seeking diplomatic solutions to all acute international problems and conflicts.
The meeting also addressed issues of interaction in the “Central Asia – EU” format.
Kallas also discussed Kazakh-European cooperation and issues of the global agenda with Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu. They welcomed the high dynamics of interaction, underlining the importance of the upcoming Central Asia – European Union Summit in Samarkand.
In the context of the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, Nurtleu outlined the need to take joint practical steps, which will enable access to the markets of the Middle East and Africa.
Kallas reiterated the EU’s commitment to deepening long-term cooperation with Kazakhstan and implementing joint projects. She stated that this would be facilitated by the outcomes of the “Central Asia – EU” Ministerial Meeting recently held in Ashgabat, which are highly valued by the European side.
“Rounding up my visit of Central Asia! Thank you President Tokayev and Minister Nurtleu for the hospitality and insightful discussions. We appreciate Kazakhstan’s important role and see eye-to-eye with its respect for international law and the UN Charter,” Kallas wrote on X.
On March 27, Kallas discussed preparations for Central Asia-European Union Summit at the Central Asia-European Union 20th Ministerial Meeting on March 27 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
In Ashgabat, Kazakh Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roman Vassilenko announced several Kazakhstan initiatives in the areas of agriculture, digitalization, and investment cooperation, outlining the country’s vision for untapping the transit potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
He also emphasized the importance of tackling climate change in Central Asia, noting the significance of holding the Regional Climate Summit in Astana under the auspices of the UN in 2026.
Following the meeting, a joint communique was adopted, reflecting the priority areas of regional cooperation.
During his visit to Ashgabat, Vassilenko attended the side event dubbed International Year of Peace and Trust: Deepening Cooperation between Central Asia and the EU, organized at the initiative of Turkmenistan. On the sidelines of the event, Vassilenko met with the newly appointed EU Special Representative for Central Asia Eduards Stiprais to discuss regional cooperation in water resources management, science and education, and sustainable connectivity.
The European Union is the main trade and investment partner of Kazakhstan. The trade turnover between Kazakhstan and European Union reached $49.7 billion (+16.9 percent), including exports from Kazakhstan – $ 38.6 billion, imports to Kazakhstan – $11.1 billion, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The gross inflow of direct investment from EU countries for the period from 2005 to 9 months of 2024 amounted $200.7 billion. There are more than 3,000 European companies currently operating in Kazakhstan.
