The 22nd meeting of the ‘Republic of Kazakhstan – European Union’ Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (PCC) took place in Brussels. The event coincided with the upcoming milestone anniversary — the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between Kazakhstan and the EU and its member states on 21 December 2015 in Astana. Since then, the document has served effectively as a legal foundation for strengthening the Kazakhstan–EU strategic partnership in political, economic, and cultural-humanitarian spheres, also covering interparliamentary relations.
The PCC meeting was co-chaired by Aigul Kuspan, Chair of the Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Guisi Princi, Head of the Delegation of the European Parliament for relations with Central Asia.
Opening the meeting, the co-chairs noted the stable nature of the strategic partnership between the EU and Kazakhstan, emphasizing that in recent years it has reached a qualitatively new level. They jointly highlighted the significant expansion of dialogue between Astana and Brussels on reform issues, economic transformation, and modernization of public administration in Kazakhstan.
Special emphasis was placed on the fact that the practical implementation of the EPCA opens new horizons and opportunities for expanding economic cooperation, giving strong impetus to the development of entrepreneurship, investment, and innovation.
- Princi stressed that the European Union attaches “special importance” to strengthening cooperation with Kazakhstan, which is a “reliable political partner for Europe.” She welcomed the open and substantive dialogue established on a wide range of issues, including current global challenges such as climate change, technological development, sustainable growth, and other aspects.
The head of the European delegation positively assessed the reforms being implemented in Kazakhstan, confirming the EU’s readiness to continue supporting the process of institutional transformation in the country.
In the context of deepening cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, G. Princi expressed full support for strengthening academic ties, especially between universities and research institutes of Kazakhstan and EU member states, noting the high potential for interaction in this direction.
The parties paid special attention to the development of interparliamentary cooperation, which continues to strengthen thanks to regular meetings, exchanges of experience, and direct dialogue between members of parliament. It was emphasized that parliamentary diplomacy plays a key role in building trust, supporting reforms, promoting democratic institutions, and expanding mutual understanding between peoples. The parties expressed their readiness to intensify the work of parliamentary committees, expand thematic exchanges, and strengthen coordination in multilateral formats.
Alongside this, participants of the event discussed in detail the development of economic partnership. Kazakhstan is the largest trading partner of the EU in Central Asia, while the European Union is the leading investor in the Kazakh economy. In particular, they reviewed prospects for diversifying trade, developing sustainable supply chains, cooperation in “green” and digital transformation, innovations, and raw materials processing. Special interest was shown in the progress of implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in critical raw materials, signed between Kazakhstan and the EU in 2022.
Together with the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism, the current state and prospects for cooperation in the field of transport connectivity were thoroughly examined, including the expansion and modernization of logistics infrastructure, the development of multimodal transportation, and strengthening the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (“Middle Corridor”).
In the context of the regional cooperation format “Central Asia – European Union,” the sides discussed interaction in the field of effective water resource management, expansion of transport and economic connectivity, as well as security issues. The parties reaffirmed their commitment to joint work on the sustainable management of natural resources and strengthening regional resilience.
The delegations of Kazakhstan and the EU also addressed issues of human rights, the rule of law, good governance, and the mobility of citizens. The importance of continuing systemic reforms in Kazakhstan, developing civil society, and expanding educational programs and academic mobility — including the EU’s “Erasmus+” initiative — was emphasized.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties expressed satisfaction with the successful outcomes of the decade-long implementation of the EPCA, reaffirming their mutual commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the European Union, launching new joint initiatives, and effectively responding to regional and global challenges.
