BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The official visit
of Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic to Kazakhstan on June
18–20, 2026 marked the first visit by the head of this state in the
history of bilateral relations. The event reflects the expansion of
Kazakhstan’s European direction of external contacts.


Until recently, Astana’s European agenda was mainly focused on
the large economies of Western Europe – primarily Germany and
France – as well as several Central European countries, including
Hungary. The intensification of contacts with Balkan countries
appears to indicate Astana’s intention to diversify the geography
of its engagement.


Although economic relations between Astana and Podgorica remain
limited (trade turnover amounted to only $256.5 million in
January-April 2026, according to the Bureau of National Statistics
of Kazakhstan), the partnership has significant potential.
Montenegro is in the final stage of negotiations on accession to
the European Union and aims to become a full EU member by 2028.
Montenegro could act as a kind of intermediary, facilitating more
effective integration of Kazakhstan into the European legal and
economic space.


During the talks between the presidents of Montenegro and
Kazakhstan on June 19, the sides discussed expanding cooperation in
transport and logistics, agriculture, and digitalization. They also
considered issues related to increasing mutual trade and developing
business ties, including through a memorandum between the chambers
of commerce of the two countries.







The Kazakh side stated its readiness to create conditions for
Montenegrin companies to enter its market. An additional dimension
of cooperation is taking shape in the humanitarian and tourism
sectors. A visa-free regime, in effect from May 1 to October 1, as
well as interest from Kazakh tourists, makes Montenegro a notable
destination in the Balkans, potentially contributing to the
development of air connectivity and the services sector.


Special attention is paid to the environmental agenda.
Montenegro positions itself as an ecological state, even enshrining
this status at the constitutional level, while Kazakhstan declares
a course toward decarbonization of its economy. According to the
Ministry of Energy, Kazakhstan plans to commission more than 8 GW
of renewable energy capacity by 2035. However, in practice, this
still represents more of a coincidence of goals than a fully
developed area of cooperation. At the same time, the similarity of
strategic priorities creates potential for expanding cooperation in
green energy, ecological tourism, and exchange of experience in
sustainable development.


Overall, the visit can be seen as an example of Kazakhstan
expanding its contacts in Europe through smaller and more flexible
countries that can serve as linking points in broader European
processes. It also reflects the gradual emergence of the Balkans as
a new direction in Kazakhstan’s European policy. Among recent
high-level contacts with Balkan countries in Kazakhstan, one can
note the visits of the presidents of North Macedonia and Bulgaria
in 2025, as well as the president of Serbia in February 2026. In
the medium term, the success of the Astana-Podgorica partnership
will depend on the ability of both sides to move from general
statements to concrete projects. For Kazakhstan, this may also
become useful experience in developing relations with the European
Union, where Montenegro may in the future take its full-fledged
place.