King Philippe of the Belgians addressed Kazakhstanis with a traditional national blessing, highlighting the country's rich heritage rooted in the era of the Golden Horde, noting its traditions of hospitality and calling Kazakhstan a frontrunner in the development of artificial intelligence, reports infohub.kz.
Concluding a joint briefing with Kazakh President Qasym-Jomart Toqaev, King Philippe switched to Kazakh to wish well-being to Kazakh families.
"I hope I pronounce correctly the expression 'Shanyraqyңyz biik bolsyn,' which perfectly conveys the spirit of the state visit to Kazakhstan. It embodies family unity, continuity of generations, well-being, peace and a common home," he said.
The King of Belgium noted that he looks forward with enthusiasm to the opportunity to touch the unique cultural code of the Kazakh people.
"I very much look forward to visiting the iconic sights and museums of Astana and Almaty, which will allow us to touch history rooted in the era of the Golden Horde. Together with the Belgian delegation, I look forward with enthusiasm to getting acquainted with the natural and cultural wealth of Kazakhstan, so vividly described by the incomparable Abai and forming the basis of Kazakh national identity. Kazakhstan embodies hospitality – qonaqjailyq," King Philippe noted.
The head of Belgium drew attention to Astana's increased international authority and the depth of socio-political transformations in the country, particularly highlighting the people's support for the recent constitutional reform. According to him, Kazakhstan today has formed a modern society with a strong middle class and advanced infrastructure.
The monarch placed special emphasis on the republic's technology sector.
"Kazakhstan is at the forefront of digitalization and is developing unique solutions, in particular in the field of artificial intelligence. Of great interest to us is the opportunity to visit the Alem.AI center and discuss opportunities for developing synergy between our countries," he noted.
The state visit of the royal couple will last three days and will cover Astana and Almaty. The delegation's schedule includes a Kazakh-Belgian Business Council, a roundtable on critical minerals and the signing of a package of agreements.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that Qasym-Jomart Toqaev promised to personally monitor that projects of Belgian companies in Kazakhstan are implemented on time.