Kazakhstan offers Antwerp a direct port partnership with Aktau and Kuryk

Kazakhstan's ambassador to Belgium, Roman Vasilenko, held a series of meetings in Antwerp — with the Antwerp-Waasland Chamber of Commerce, the city administration, the innovation hub The Beacon, and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges authority. The central topic was a direct partnership between the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Kazakh Caspian ports of Aktau and Kuryk.

The parties discussed port infrastructure management, the rollout of smart port technologies, and the decarbonisation of port operations. The Kazakh side proposed using Antwerp as a European hub for exporting metals, critical raw materials, petrochemical and agricultural products — goods that already make up a significant share of Kazakhstan's exports to the Benelux countries. The talks concluded with an agreement to draft a framework document on port cooperation.

A separate technology partnership was also discussed: The Beacon and Kazakhstan's Astana Hub are considering joint projects in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and cybersecurity, as part of the broader digitalisation of port and logistics infrastructure.

Why this matters for Chamber members. A direct Antwerp-Bruges–Aktau/Kuryk link, should it lead to a concrete agreement, would shorten the logistics chain for Kazakh exporters focused on the Benelux market and create demand for local partners in port logistics, cargo certification, and transport-sector IT.