President of Kazakhstan Holds Talks in Narrow Format with King and Queen of the Belgians
An official welcoming ceremony for King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, who arrived in Kazakhstan on a state visit, was held at Akorda.
In honor of the distinguished guests, a formation of helicopters from Kazakhstan’s Air Defense Forces performed a flyover in front of Akorda, carrying the national flags of Kazakhstan and Belgium.
During the solemn ceremony, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and King Philippe introduced the members of their official delegations to each other. The commander of the honor guard delivered a ceremonial report, and the presidential orchestra performed the national anthems of the two countries.
The two sides then proceeded to the Eastern Hall for a meeting in a narrow format.
During the talks, the President described the first state visit by the King and Queen of the Belgians to Kazakhstan as a historic event opening a new chapter in bilateral partnership.
“It is a great honor for me to welcome you in Astana. This is a historic visit that has attracted so much attention from our society. I am very much grateful that a distinguished delegation to Kazakhstan includes representatives of Government and regional authorities, the business, the academia, and the media. As Crown Prince, you visited Kazakhstan three times. We greatly appreciate your commitment to developing relations with our country and have always felt your support,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted.
President Tokayev described Belgium as a longstanding and valued partner of Kazakhstan in Europe.
“Next year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. Over the years, we have forged close relations rooted in genuine friendship and mutual respect. Our trusted cooperation is underpinned by continuous political dialogue. We are closely following your achievements. They are truly impressive. We must follow your suit and learn from your experience. I fondly recall my visit to Belgium five years ago and the substantive talks we held at that time. My return visit to Brussels in June of this year and my talks with Prime Minister Bart De Wever reaffirmed our shared commitment to further strengthening the partnership,” the Head of State said.
In turn, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde expressed their sincere gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan for the warm welcome and hospitality, highlighting, in particular, the country’s socioeconomic achievements and Kazakhstan’s growing standing on the international stage.
“Kazakhstan is a very important country for us and is doing very well. The entire Central Asian region is also of great significance. In Belgium, we take a keen interest in your region, and we have come here with a high-level delegation. Of course, we know each other well. Our countries have maintained excellent relations for 35 years, and we intend to celebrate this anniversary. At the same time, we are convinced that we can bring them to a higher level. My delegation includes representatives from a wide range of promising, future-oriented sectors. Mr President, I know you have adjusted your schedule to make time for us and accompany us. We are extremely touched by this. We greatly appreciate the honor you have bestowed upon us and the time you have devoted to us,” King Philippe of the Belgians said.
