BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11. Kazakhstan and Belgium discussed the potential of the Middle Corridor and the use of European port infrastructure to expand trade flows.
According to the press service of Kazakh MFA, the discussions were held during a visit of Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Belgium Roman Vassilenko to West Flanders province.
During meetings with representatives of Belgian business circles and regional authorities, Vassilenko highlighted the strategic role of the Middle Corridor as one of the fastest-growing Eurasian transport routes and emphasized opportunities for using the Antwerp-Bruges port infrastructure to increase supplies of Kazakh agricultural products to European Union markets.
As part of the visit, the Kazakh ambassador also familiarized himself with the operations of the Zeebrugge port complex, which is part of the unified Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
During talks with Mayor of Blankenberge Bjorn Prasse, the sides discussed prospects for expanding Kazakhstan-Belgium cooperation at the regional level, including tourism, sustainable urban development and establishing direct partnerships between municipalities of the two countries.
The ambassador also held meetings with owner and CEO of Belgian group Maselis Patrick Maselis and representatives of Borlix NV, where the sides discussed trade and economic cooperation, as well as opportunities for joint projects in Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial sector.
According to the Kazakh side, bilateral trade has been showing steady growth. In 2025, Kazakhstan’s exports to Belgium increased by 48%, reaching $311.5 million. Flax seeds became the main export item, with Belgium representing the largest European market for Kazakh flax, while Kazakhstan currently ranks first among flax seed suppliers to the EU market.
Belgian companies expressed interest in cooperation in deep grain processing, localization of advanced processing technologies, production of food ingredients and animal feed, as well as joint investment projects in Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector.
The Kazakh ambassador presented the opportunities offered by the Middle Corridor, and noted the importance of developing logistics cooperation with European partners. "The Ambassador also presented in detail the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) as one of the most dynamically developing Eurasian transport routes and emphasized the possibilities of using the Antwerp-Bruges port infrastructure to further expand the supply of Kazakh agricultural products to the countries of the European Union," the statement of Kazakh MFA says.
Following the visit, the parties confirmed their interest in further expanding practical cooperation in logistics, agriculture, tourism, sustainable regional development and strengthening direct ties between business and regional communities of Kazakhstan and West Flanders.
