The European Union began simplifying visa procedures for Kazakh citizens following talks at the EU-Kazakhstan Cooperation Council in Brussels, a pledge Council President António Costa affirmed during his first official visit to Kazakhstan on Thursday.
“I know very well how these talks matter deeply to both Kazakh and European citizens,” Costa said in Astana.
“When concluded, this agreement will make it easier for our people to meet, study, work and invest, a real sign of the friendship between our peoples.”
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also welcomed the agreement, noting that increased mobility will facilitate cooperation in education, science, cultural exchanges and business interaction.
While EU citizens enjoy easy entry to Kazakhstan, Kazakh citizens must gather multiple documents and sometimes wait months for visa appointments.
Valeriy Sitenko, senior expert at the Foreign Policy Research Institute under Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry, said simplified visas will primarily help business travel, while tourist flows are unlikely to increase significantly.
He said Kazakh citizens prefer travelling to South and Southeast Asia because it is much cheaper.
Investment package worth €12 billion
Tokayev said Kazakhstan is ready to support the EU’s €12 billion investment package for Central Asia. The funds would be allocated to transport, raw materials, green energy and digital technology projects.
“We are happy to see the work you are doing to improve the investment climate. You can count on us to promote among European companies the huge potential of our economic cooperation,” Costa said.
Kazakhstan pledged stable energy supplies to Europe. This comes after the Caspian Pipeline Consortium was attacked earlier this year. About 80 per cent of Kazakhstan’s oil flows through the CPC, including to Europe.
Costa also praised Kazakhstan’s commitment to the UN Charter and Tokayev’s role in facilitating peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which will open new opportunities for the development of the Middle Corridor.
The visit coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Kazakhstan, signed in December 2015 and the first of its kind in the region.
The 22nd meeting of the EU-Kazakhstan Cooperation Council was held in Brussels on 1 December, chaired by Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas.
During the first EU-Central Asia Summit in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand in April, countries agreed to elevate the interregional partnership to a strategic level.