ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest covers the upcoming Belgian royal visit, Kazakhstan’s newly recognized UNESCO heritage sites, Japan-funded Caspian Sea monitoring and more.
Photo credit: caranivistan.kz
King Philippe’s state visit to Kazakhstan to open new chapter in bilateral ties
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will pay a state visit to Kazakhstan on Oct. 12-14, marking the first state visit by a European monarch to a Central Asian country and a historic milestone in 35 years of diplomatic relations, reported Paris Match on Oct. 6.
The royal visit will bring a delegation of around 110 people, including four ministers, 25 business leaders and seven university rectors. The program will cover Astana and Almaty, with discussions focused on critical raw materials, transport connectivity, investment, energy, innovation, artificial intelligence and academic cooperation.
The visit is expected to give new momentum to bilateral ties as Belgium seeks to diversify its international partnerships and strengthen engagement with Central Asia.
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot described Kazakhstan as a strategically important country located at the crossroads of major geopolitical and economic routes.
“Central Asia is a strategically important region and opens real opportunities for Belgium,” Prévot said, highlighting Kazakhstan’s critical raw materials and its role in regional energy and transport networks.
He also announced plans to open Belgium’s embassy in Uzbekistan next year and tour all Central Asian countries in 2027.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or the Middle Corridor, is expected to be an important element of bilateral cooperation. The route connects Asia and Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Türkiye.
According to the information provided ahead of the visit, freight volumes along the corridor have increased fivefold over six years, from 0.8 million tons to 4.1 million tons annually, with a target of 10 million tons.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Belgium Roman Vassilenko described Belgium as an important partner in the European Union, while noting the potential for cooperation in logistics, port infrastructure, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, science and green technologies.
King Philippe previously visited Kazakhstan three times as Crown Prince, including trips to Baikonur in 2002 and 2009 and an economic mission in 2010.
The upcoming visit, however, will be the first state visit by a Belgian monarch to Kazakhstan. It is also the first state visit by a European monarch to the country, underscoring the growing strategic importance of Kazakhstan-Belgium relations.
Inside Kazakhstan’s historic rock-hewn mosques now recognized by UNESCO
Five rock-hewn mosques and associated sacred sites dating from the 12th to the 18th centuries make up Kazakhstan’s newest UNESCO World Heritage property. The complexes preserve centuries of Sufi tradition alongside much older beliefs, Euronews reported on Oct. 7.
The World Heritage Committee adopted the decision at its 48th session on July 25 in Busan, South Korea. This follows President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s 2024 instructions to pursue the inscription of these rock-hewn mosques on the World Heritage List.
Set amid the otherworldly landscapes of Mangystau, the newly recognized mosques and their associated sites are named after revered Sufi masters: Beket-Ata, Shopan-Ata, Karaman-Ata, Shakpak-Ata and Sultan-Epe.
Japan funds $3 million Caspian Sea monitoring Project in Kazakhstan
Japan is funding a $3 million project to improve monitoring of the shrinking Caspian Sea, focusing particularly on Kazakhstan’s shallow northern basin. The project, implemented by the United Nations Development Program in Kazakhstan, was officially launched in Aktau on Oct. 5. Experts from across the Caspian region are expected to take part in joint research and a regional scientific platform partnership designed to improve the exchange of data and expertise, reported The Times of Central Asia on Oct. 6.
For Kazakhstan, the most immediate problem lies in the northern Caspian. The water there is extremely shallow, meaning that even relatively small declines in sea level can push the shoreline back considerable distances. Habitats used by Caspian seals and sturgeon are already changing, while ports and shipping face growing difficulties.
Scientists link the decline to changes in the Caspian Sea’s water balance. The sea has no connection to the world’s oceans and depends on river inflow, precipitation, and evaporation. The Volga supplies most of its river water, while rising temperatures are increasing evaporation.
Kazakh-British Business Council plans next meeting in London in 2027
The next meeting of the Kazakh-British Business Council is planned for London in 2027, Trend reported citing Samruk Kazyna.
The statement follows the fifth meeting of the Kazakh-British Business Council, which was held in Astana with the participation of more than 100 representatives of the business communities and government agencies of Kazakhstan and the UK.
Central Asia in search of its identity
The article explores how Central Asian countries are strengthening regional cooperation, economic integration and a shared identity without the need for supranational institutions, reported Asia News on Oct. 9.
“The main question is no longer which centre of power Central Asia will align itself with, but to what extent it will succeed in moving from the multifaceted nature of its states towards autonomy and regional action, whilst continuing to integrate with the outside world, yet becoming a region strong and connected enough to open up to it on favourable and equitable terms,” the article reads.
