The EU-Kazakhstan Cooperation Council held its 17th meeting on 20 January 2020 in Brussels. The meeting was chaired by Croatia’s Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, while the Kazakh delegation was led by Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi.
“The Cooperation Council welcomed today’s adoption by the Foreign Affairs Council of the Council Decision on the Conclusion of the EU–Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), signed in 2015. Our Agreement, which has now been ratified by all EU member states and the European Parliament, will fully enter into force on 1 March 2020,” Grlić Radman said.
The full application of the EPCA will allow for even closer cooperation in areas that so far have not been provisionally applied, in particular the areas that fall under EU member state competence such as the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
The Cooperation Council underscored the mutual commitment to the further strengthening of bilateral relations. The EU looks forward to the first official visit by President Tokayev to Brussels mid-February. The Cooperation Council took stock of the successful implementation of the EPCA in a number of areas, including trade and customs, environment and climate change, energy as well as rule of law and judicial cooperation.
The EU thanked Kazakhstan for its active role in promoting peace, stability and security in the wider region, including Afghanistan. The Cooperation Council also discussed regional security, including border management, counterterrorism and the fight against drug trafficking.