Strengthening Business Ties: Kazakhstan and the Benelux Countries Expand Economic Cooperation

On June 4, 2025, the third meeting of the Kazakhstan-Belgium Business Council took place in Brussels. The event served as an important platform for discussing the current state and future prospects of bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and industrial partnership.

The meeting was attended by Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan Murat Karimssakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of Belgium Margulan Baimukhan, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Kazakhstan Henri Vantieghem, President of the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan Denis Van den Weghe, President of the Brussels Chamber of Commerce Thierry Geerts, delegates from the chambers of commerce of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, as well as representatives of more than 50 Kazakhstani and Belgian companies.

In his remarks as Co-Chair of the Kazakhstan-Belgium Business Council, Murat Karimssakov noted: “The growth in mutual trade volumes is clear evidence of the steady strengthening of economic ties between Kazakhstan and the Benelux countries. In 2024, total trade turnover reached USD 5.68 billion, which is nearly 28% higher than the figure for the same period last year. Trade with Belgium amounted to USD 456.3 million.”

Kazakhstan’s exports to Belgium mainly consist of flax seeds, titanium and titanium products, chromium, ores, coal, ethyl alcohol, and ferrous metal products. Imports from Belgium, in turn, include a wide range of high-tech goods: pharmaceuticals, vaccines, petrochemical equipment, agricultural machinery, filtration systems, and chemical components.

Special attention during the meeting was given to investment cooperation. Currently, 76 companies with Belgian capital are operating in Kazakhstan, including:

• Jan De Nul, implementing a dredging project at the Port of Aktau;

• Sarens Group, involved in the logistics of heavy equipment for the oil and gas sector;

• Ahlers, providing multimodal transportation services from Almaty;

• Puratos, working in the field of water treatment;

• as well as Solvay, Besix, Evolion, and Induss, actively engaged in the chemical, construction, energy, and environmental sectors.

The meeting also featured a presentation of the National Digital Investment Platform, designed to enhance transparency and efficiency in working with investors. The platform brings together 1,280 investment projects worth a total of USD 87.6 billion, providing real-time updates on project implementation status.

The parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in developing new areas of partnership, including logistics, agriculture, green energy, and innovative technologies. The Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan expressed its readiness to provide comprehensive support to Belgian, Dutch, and Luxembourg companies entering the Kazakhstani market.