The 23rd meeting of the Cooperation Committee in Political Configuration was held within the framework of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Issetov and Deputy Managing Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the European External Action Service Audrone Perkauskiene.
The parties exchanged views on the progress of political reforms in Kazakhstan, including public administration, judicial reforms, and strengthening the rule of law.
Special attention was given to trade and economic cooperation, particularly the implementation of the Global Gateway initiative. Kazakhstan and the European Union identified key priorities for expanding cooperation in transport and logistics connectivity, green energy, environmental protection, critical raw materials, and increasing Kazakhstan’s export potential.
The importance of academic mobility and cooperation between research institutions under the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes was also emphasized.
“The European Union remains Kazakhstan’s largest trade and investment partner. Last year, bilateral trade reached 45 billion US dollars. From 2005 to 2025, European investments in Kazakhstan exceeded 200 billion dollars. More than 4,000 European companies are currently operating successfully in our country. We highly appreciate the growing interest of European businesses in Kazakhstan and the region as a reliable partner and strategic transit hub connecting Europe and Asia,” Deputy Minister Issetov noted.
For her part, Audrone Perkauskiene praised the positive dynamics of the strategic partnership with Kazakhstan and reaffirmed the European Union’s interest in deepening cooperation across all areas while jointly addressing common international challenges.
The parties also discussed prospects for facilitating visa procedures for citizens of Kazakhstan. Both sides stressed the importance of strengthening dialogue and further expanding cooperation in consular and visa matters.
Following the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthening cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union across the full range of bilateral relations.
The platform continues to serve as an effective mechanism for discussing the current cooperation agenda and coordinating positions between Kazakhstan and the European Union on a broad range of issues involving sectoral government institutions.
