Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid an official visit to the seat of the European Union in Brussels this week, meeting with President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Kazakhstan walked away with around 10 billion euro in commercial deals.
Tokayev had published an article immediately before his visit to Brussels with Euronews, laying out his framing of the EU-Kazakhstan relationship. Last year, the two sides marked a decade since the signing of their Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA). In setting the ambition for “building the next chapter of a strategic partnership,” in his article Tokayev sketched out three strategic goals: “1) strengthening resilience, 2) expanding connectivity of all kinds, and 3) creating new opportunities for citizens.”
“Geography and power are making a comeback,” Tokayev proclaimed, as if geography and power ever went away in international relations. The article highlighted Kazakhstan’s economic strength; the importance of energy security and energy interdependence in the EU-Kazakhstan relationship; connectivity, namely the Middle Corridor; AI, digital governance and innovation; and education.
