On 12 October 2026, President of Kazakhstan–EU Gateway (KEG), Valikhan Bakhretdinov, participated in the high-level Belgium–Kazakhstan Critical Minerals Seminar, entitled “Building Belgian–Kazakh Partnerships Across the Critical Raw Materials Value Chain — From MoUs to Shovels in the Ground.” The event was held at Nazarbayev University in Astana within the framework of the State Visit of Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians to the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Organised by SIM² KU Leuven and Nazarbayev University, with the support of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction and Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the seminar brought together senior policymakers, leading European and Kazakh industry representatives, researchers and academic experts to explore opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation in critical raw materials (CRMs).
The programme featured opening remarks by Dr. Peter Tom Jones (SIM² KU Leuven), who highlighted the strategic importance of critical minerals for Europe’s green industrial transition. Discussions addressed the development of competitive mineral value chains, investment opportunities in Kazakhstan’s mining and processing industries, technology transfer, sustainable production and the establishment of long-term partnerships between Belgian and Kazakh enterprises.
The first panel examined opportunities for building competitive CRM value chains, with contributions from representatives of Molymet, Hydrometal, VITO, Kazatomprom, Tau-Ken Samruk and Lidian Kazakhstan. The second session focused on strengthening bilateral research and development cooperation, including a high-level discussion between Peter Tom Jones and Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan.
For Kazakhstan–EU Gateway, the seminar represented an important continuation of the dialogue initiated during its inaugural event in Brussels on 9 December 2025. On that occasion, KEG organised its first dedicated high-level roundtable, “Strategic Partnership on Critical Raw Materials,” featuring Dr. Peter Tom Jones alongside prominent representatives of Kazakhstan, European institutions, academia and industry. The discussion established an early platform for exploring practical EU–Kazakhstan cooperation in sustainable mineral development, technological innovation and resilient supply chains.
Building on this initial engagement, Kazakhstan–EU Gateway and SIM² KU Leuven signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in April 2026, formalising their commitment to cooperation in the critical raw materials sector. The agreement laid the foundation for closer institutional dialogue, the identification of joint research opportunities and the development of partnerships connecting Kazakhstan’s mineral resource potential with European technological and industrial expertise.
Mr. Bakhretdinov’s participation in the Astana seminar therefore reflected the continuous development of this cooperation: from the first KEG-organised expert discussions in December 2025 to the signing of the MoU in April 2026 and the subsequent high-level engagement during the Belgian Royal State Visit in October 2026.
The seminar also contributed to the broader bilateral agenda, with its conclusions intended to inform the Royal Critical Minerals Round Table scheduled for 13 October 2026. This process highlighted the importance of transforming strategic cooperation agreements into concrete industrial, academic and investment initiatives.
As a Brussels-based platform dedicated to strengthening relations between Kazakhstan and the European Union, Kazakhstan–EU Gateway remains committed to facilitating dialogue between European and Kazakh policymakers, universities, research institutions and businesses, promoting practical partnerships in critical raw materials, sustainable industrial development, technological innovation and investment cooperation.
We are thankful for such experiences and look forward for all to come in the near future!
