Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has begun a strategic visit to Brussels as Astana seeks a much deeper strategic partnership with the European Union, positioning itself as a reliable supplier of energy and critical raw materials while offering new opportunities in AI, logistics and green technologies.
"We are in the heart of Eurasia. We border Russia, we border China, but we would like very much to strengthen our mutually beneficial ties with the European Union," Kazakhstan's Ambassador to the EU Roman Vassilenko told Euronews in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, expressing his country’s main message for President Tokayev’s visit, as part of the constantly developing engagement between the EU and Central Asia.
"We have done a lot, but we can do much more," he added in an interview with Euronews’ Europe Today morning show, describing the EU as one of Kazakhstan's "key strategic partners globally."
Vassilenko said Tokayev’s visit to Brussels carries a clear message: despite already strong relations, there is significant room for growth.
Trade and investment links between the two sides have expanded substantially in recent years. European companies have invested around $210 billion (€184bn) in Kazakhstan, largely in the energy sector.
