Having all the right ingredients in order to organize one of the most important economic forums in the world, the President and the Government of Kazakhstan brought together politician, statespersons, business people, academics and scientists, Nobel Prize laureates, international organizations, NGOs and mass media to discuss current global challenges and disseminate the results. This has been done with the extensive support of the United Nations Organization, as well as other important international partners.
The Astana Economic Forum has been organized between the 21st and the 24th of May 2014 and it is at its 7th edition. This year`s edition was organized under the auspices of global change and global challenges. Over 10.000 participants from all over the world decided to participate to the event that promised to find answers to how the world works and what can be done to improve our living on Earth.
The Economic Forum has been divided into several themes of topicality, respectively on globalization, integration, financial and economic stability, international trade, social and cultural aspects, research, development and innovation, as well as a vision to develop Kazakhstan until 2050. There were three events that gave a global view over the current problems: the Dialogue of World Leaders, the World Energy Leaders Summit and the II World Anticrisis Conference.
The idea behind the Forum was to create a platform of dialogue and communication with the world, the G-Global platform, thus making a resolute stand on what are the approaches to overpass the global financial and economic crises and to tackle four of the most important current global challenges, respectively, overpopulation, food and agriculture, water and energy.
The issues were discussed in conferences and fora. The approach to the discussions envisaged global, regional, national and local levels. The range of the discussions encompassed: the creation of the Eurasian Union by 2015; regional integration issues related to regional trade and economy; interconnected regional economies; migration and the development of the Customs’ Union; Eurasian security; integrated financial markets at the regional and national levels; Silk Road economic belt and win-win innovation solutions for prosperity; tourism as a basis of integration; competition in the conditions of economy globalization; business innovation and investment; competitive enterprises in a competitive economy; internationalization of the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises; healthcare and development of human capital; global media in time of a global economy; corporate governance and added value; the services sector in the Asian region in the 21st century; Kazakhstan development and sustainable energy until 2050; Kazakhstan second stage of industrialization and many more.
In a nutshell, the Astana Economic Forum created added value, communication and opportunities in a region of strategic importance to the whole world. Kazakhstan is at the center of this strategic region and awaits partners for cooperation from all over the world in order to show its openness, innovation and bridge creating ideas. The world has responded positively to the Astana Economic Forum and together with the Davos Economic Forum, they link the people around the world. These endeavors should expand also in other regions of the world, for instance in the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Calea Europeana stands close and supports entirely such initiatives and, through its software applications, as it was presented at the Astana Economic Forum, bridges the citizens of the world together with the G-Global platform for communication and cooperation created by Kazakhstan especially for this Forum.
Răzvan Buzatu
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