Kazakhstan and Serbia are set to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, tourism, and transport following the fourth meeting of the Kazakh-Serbian Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), held in Almaty on August 8.
The meeting was co-chaired by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin, and Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs Ivica Dacic.
Zhumangarin highlighted trade, transport, agriculture, healthcare, tourism, science, biotechnology, education, and culture as key areas for expanding bilateral ties.
Agricultural trade between the two countries is showing steady growth. In the first half of 2025, turnover of agricultural products increased 1.5 times to $4mn. Kazakhstan is particularly interested in boosting exports of grain and legumes, vegetable oils, fish, meat, and dairy products to Serbia.
Vice Minister of Agriculture Yermek Kenzhekhanuly noted recent advances in market access to the European Union, including the approval for exporting Kazakh fish products and honey.
“The EU register now includes 20 Kazakh enterprises supplying pike perch fillet and other fish products, and four major producers are ready to begin honey exports to Europe,” he said. Work is also underway to gain EU approval for aquaculture products and horse meat.
Kazakhstan proposed joint investment projects in processing livestock and plant products, as well as research cooperation in seed production, field testing of various crops, development of joint hybrids, and production of biopesticides.
Tourism cooperation was also a major focus. Kazakhstan expressed readiness to invest in the construction of a multifunctional hotel complex in Belgrade. Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerzhan Yerkinbayev said the project would boost tourism infrastructure and enhance business and cultural ties.
Yerkinbayev also proposed academic partnerships between the International University of Tourism and Hospitality in Turkestan and Singidunum University in Belgrade, which would include student and faculty exchange programs, joint research, and participation in the Kazakhstan International Tourism and Travel Exhibition in April 2026.
Transport connectivity was discussed, with both sides exploring the extension of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route to Serbia. Plans are in progress to launch direct flights between Astana and Belgrade this year, operated by SCAT Airlines, with potential onward routes to Morocco, Tunisia, Barcelona, and Larnaca.
The countries also agreed to hold a trade and economic mission to Serbia and the first Kazakh-Serbian business council later this year.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a protocol formalizing the agreements reached. The next IGC meeting will take place in Serbia in 2026.
Singidunum University is the only Serbian institution with UNWTO’s TEDQUAL certification and is ranked among the top 600 European universities by the QS Europe University Rankings 2025. It also serves as the UNWTO’s regional reference library for tourism, housing one of the largest tourism literature collections in the Balkans.
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