Kazakhstan, 10th Jul 2023, King NewsWire – Kazakhstan this week is hosting the Central Asian Security and Cooperation Forum in the country’s capital Astana. The event, held by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies think tank and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, aims to become a permanent discussion platform for generating new ideas in the field of diplomacy, public administration, economics, culture and business.
The agenda of the forum will focus on the most important political and economic issues impacting the development of the Central Asian region and beyond.
Kazakhstan decided to organise the event because Central Asia, a large region of nearly 80 million people, is at a crossroads surrounded by significant opportunities as well as risks.
Over the past 20 years, Central Asian countries’ GDP has grown more than sevenfold at an average rate of 6.2%, which is faster than in most developing countries and more than twice as fast as the world as a whole. At the same time, uncertainty over global developments in interest rates, inflation, and commodity prices are clouding the long-term outlook for the region. In addition, the world is on the verge of complex geopolitical shifts. There is a growing competition to establish new rules and mechanisms for international relations, including the global security architecture. As a result, there is a strong need to establish new dialogue platforms.
It is in this context that Kazakhstan is holding the Central Asian Security and Cooperation Forum on July 13-14. More than 60 international speakers from 25 countries, are expected to participate at the forum. Speakers include Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office, Terhi Hakala, EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Narushige Michishita, Vice President of the National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies of Japan, Mohammad Hassan Sheikh Al Islami, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, President of the Institute of Political and International Studies of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Mehran Kamrava, Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University in Qatar, Head of Iranian Studies Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, among many others.
One of the panel sessions will assess Kazakhstan and global changes, including how Kazakhstan’s political reforms are likely to affect the dynamics of processes in Central Asia and on the continent as a whole. The session will also examine the development of human capital in Kazakhstan, among other topics. Another panel session will discuss Asia in the era of globalization and regionalization, including how can the diplomacy of Asia’s small and medium-sized states maintain regional resilience. Other panel sessions will consider the new continental connectivity of Eurasia, particularly the role of the Middle Corridor, Asia’s global security: prospects for the future, among other important topics.
As an integral part of the wider Asian region, Central Asia will continue to play a key role in facilitating trade and cooperation not just within Asia, but also between East and West, a role that Kazakhstan has played successfully for some time. It is therefore timely that the theme of this year’s forum is “Asia in the Changing World: Agenda for the Future.”
The forum also presents an opportunity to establish cooperation between analytical centres and think tanks of various countries in Asia and to generate new ideas and constructive proposals based on a deeper understanding of ongoing global trends and challenges.
Media Contact
Organization: Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies
Contact Person: Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies Team
Website: https://kisi.kz/en/home/
Email: mukanova_a@kisi.kz
Country: Kazakhstan
Release Id: 1007234645