Belgium's royal couple on a historic visit to Kazakhstan: the Alem.ai centre and more than 20 agreements at a rectors' forum

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium paid a state visit to Kazakhstan on 11–14 October at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev — the first state visit by a Belgian monarch to Central Asia. The delegation included government members, business leaders and academics. On 12 October Tokayev and King Philippe adopted a joint statement backing cooperation on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (the Middle Corridor), artificial intelligence, supercomputing, critical minerals, renewable energy, agriculture and healthcare. Tokayev noted that Belgium has invested more than $15 billion in Kazakhstan's economy since 2005.

On 13 October the royal couple visited the Alem.ai International Artificial Intelligence Centre in Astana together with Tokayev. They were shown the robotics zone, the AI cinema, the TUMO Astana education programme and the joint "Mirror Laboratory" of Kazakhstan and Ghent University, whose projects include AI-based early screening for Parkinson's disease and research into adaptive learning. Ghent University presented talented Kazakh students with a telescope signed by Nobel-winning physicists and Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne.

The same day the Alem.ai centre hosted a Kazakhstan–Belgium Rectors' Forum with the heads of 29 universities and research bodies, where more than 20 agreements and memorandums were signed. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and Gumilyov Eurasian National University signed with Ghent University, KU Leuven and the University of Mons, while East Kazakhstan Technical University agreed with KU Leuven to set up a joint centre on critical materials. The visit also included the fourth meeting of the Kazakhstan–Belgium Business Council.