King Philippe of Belgium to Pay Kazakhstan’s First-Ever State Visit by a Belgian Monarch
From October 11 to 14, Kazakhstan will host a reigning Belgian monarch for the first time in the history of bilateral relations: King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will pay a state visit to Astana and Almaty. Philippe previously visited Kazakhstan as Crown Prince — in 2002 and 2009 for the launches of Belgian astronaut missions from Baikonur, and in 2010 leading an economic mission, Kazakhstan Today reports.
The monarch will be accompanied by a delegation of more than a hundred people — heads of Belgian companies, university representatives and government officials. The visit's programme includes the 4th session of the Kazakhstan-Belgium Business Council, created in 2023: the two sides will review successful cooperation cases and discuss new forms of engagement in logistics and agriculture.
The visit continues the momentum from June, when President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid an official visit to Brussels and held talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Belgium ranks among Kazakhstan's top ten investors: according to Kazakhstan Today, over the past 20 years the country has invested $15 billion in Kazakhstan's economy, and bilateral trade exceeded $580 million last year. "More than 110 companies with Belgian capital operate successfully in Kazakhstan, reflecting our mutual commitment to strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation," Tokayev said during the meeting with De Wever.
Areas under bilateral discussion include transport and logistics, critical minerals, petrochemicals, agriculture and industry, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, finance, as well as science and education.
Why this matters for Chamber members. A business council at this level is a rare occasion when Belgian companies present new projects in Kazakhstan directly, while Kazakhstani exporters get direct access to Benelux partners. Logistics and agriculture, both on the council's agenda, are exactly the fields where Chamber members already have active projects — the visit opens a concrete window of opportunity already this October.
