BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 23. Kazakhstan and Belgium discussed strengthening the transit potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR or Middle Corridor), Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.
The issue was discussed during talks between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yermek Kosherbayev and Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot held in Brussels as part of the official visit of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The sides highly assessed the current state of Kazakhstan–Belgium relations and discussed opportunities for further development of political dialogue, as well as expansion of trade, economic, and humanitarian cooperation.
“Belgium is an important partner of Kazakhstan both at the bilateral level and within cooperation with the European Union. Brussels is among the ten largest investors in our country’s economy. Last year, bilateral trade exceeded half a billion US dollars, demonstrating significant potential for further strengthening cooperation,” Kosherbayev said.
Minister Kosherbayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness to create favorable conditions for the implementation of joint projects and the further expansion of business ties.
During the talks, the sides also highlighted the strong potential for cooperation in education and science, including interaction between leading universities and research centers of the two countries.
On the Belgian side, interest in developing partnerships was expressed by KU Leuven, Ghent University, and IMEC.
In addition, the ministers discussed opportunities for cooperation within multilateral platforms and exchanged views on current regional and global issues.
Following the talks, both sides reaffirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening Kazakhstan–Belgium cooperation and implementing joint initiatives in priority areas.
The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route passing through several countries in the region and connecting Asia with Europe. It serves as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern Corridors.
The route begins in China and passes through the countries of Central Asia. It then crosses the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe. The Central Corridor is a land route that bypasses the longer sea routes connecting the eastern regions of Asia, including China, with Europe.
