The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Alibek Bakayev, held negotiations with Luc Devigne, Deputy Managing Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, and the OSCE of the European External Action Service (EEAS), and Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs,El.kz cites MFA.
During the talks, the parties discussed political and trade-economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, interaction in the areas of the rule of law and human rights, transport, energy, combating climate change, environmental protection, education, and science. They also discussed the implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between Kazakhstan and the EU.
Special attention was given to the issue of simplifying the EU visa regime for Kazakh citizens. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan emphasized that our country has already taken unilateral steps to introduce a visa-free regime for European countries and noted that the Kazakh public expects reciprocal measures to facilitate obtaining Schengen visas. He expressed hope for a prompt resolution of this issue.
Additionally, the diplomats exchanged views on regional security and the current situation in Afghanistan. The Kazakh diplomat shared the outcomes of the third meeting of Special Representatives on Afghanistan organized by the UN on June 30 - July 1, 2024, in Doha, as well as the negotiations with the EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson.
Overall, the parties expressed satisfaction with the level of interaction between Kazakhstan and the EU in all areas and outlined further plans for cooperation.