Henri Vantieghem has been working in diplomacy for more than 25 years. Today he is the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. We talked to him about bilateral projects and found out what he thinks about Central Asia.
About myself
I was born and raised in Brussels. I studied law at the university. Ialso received a special diploma of a professor. For ten years worked as a lawyer at the Bar Association of Brussels, defended cases in court. Iwas also a professor of Commercial and Civil Law at the Brussels City Business School.
After that, I decided to try my hand at working abroad. Even while studying at the university, I wanted to be a diplomat. Therefore, I passed the exams and in 1996 was appointed a diplomat at the Embassy of Belgium.
About the appointment as an ambassador
I was glad of the appointment. The Central Asian region is little known in Belgium. I wanted to bring new energy to the diplomatic relations between the countries.
I was intrigued by the rapid development of Kazakhstan after independence. In Soviet times, the country was known only from Baikonur and the Semipalatinsk test site. I wanted to witness what is happening here today.
Our countries have a similar historical and political context. Belgium has been surrounded by strong neighbors for centuries: Great Britain, France, Germany. Kazakhstan has the same situation: it borders with Russia and China, Iran and India are nearby. This makes us open to international relations.
I arrived in Kazakhstan on the evening of September 1, 2021. I was pleasantly surprised by the airport. It's really international. I was warmly welcomed by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Only good impressions remained.
About the activity
My job is to promote my native country in the Central Asian region. Every month, my colleague, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belgium, and I discuss the development of joint projects in the field of trade and culture.
One of the initiatives we are promoting is the breeding of a new breed of Belgian White Blue bulls in Kazakhstan. This will enable the country to produce high-quality meat with a low cholesterol content both for domestic consumption and for export to other countries.
Kazakhstan is an important hub of Central Asia for Belgium's investments. Our country is the sixth in terms of the number of direct foreign investments in Kazakhstan.
A large number of professors from Belgium work at Nazarbayev University. There are also plans to increase the number of students from Kazakhstan who go to our country to study.
Kazakhstan is an important hub of Central Asia for Belgium's investments
Another honorable duty is to help and take care of the European community in Kazakhstan and other countries of my jurisdiction: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Belgium is part of the European Union. We promote its values: mutual respect, solidarity, social security.
Ambassadors and embassies are necessary to build friendly relations and avoid competition in any spheres. It is profitable only in business.
About Kazakhstan and traditions
Nur-Sultan is a wonderful city with a developed infrastructure, which is well suited for business. My favorite place here is the EXPO Exhibition Center. I like to visit Almaty. It is a center of attraction for people from different countries. This is similar to Brussels. There is also an international community in my hometown. We are working to ensure that there is at least one flight per week between the cities.
People in Kazakhstan are soft and hospitable. There is a difference from the Belgians, who can be cold when meeting. Kazakhstanis are open to everyone.
I was lucky enough to visit the Nauryz holiday. I was surprised by the warmth of the people. Although it was still cold in Nursultan, spring reigned in the minds and hearts of people. In Belgium there is a similar holiday — Carnival. It is held in late February-early March and is dedicated to the revival of nature after winter.
I like the local cuisine. I love beshparmak and horse meat — this is an unusual food for a Belgian. I also like traditional drinks like ayran and kefir.
About Belgium
Belgium is located in the center of Europe. From Brussels to Paris can be reached by high-speed train in a little more than an hour. The journey to Amsterdam will take two hours, and to Cologne — two and a half.
If you want to see Western Europe, Brussels is the best place for this. Prices here are lower than in neighboring countries, and the administration is open to the wishes of tourists.
About the plans
My task is to make Belgium more aware of the Central Asian countries, to ensure the development of cooperation between us.
There are also plans to turn into reality the Cooperation Agreements between Kazakhstan and the European Union, which were signed in 2017.
