Unity in a fragmented world: Dialogue, trade and climate action at the Astana Forum

Global policymakers, world experts and business representatives came together astatine the Astana International Forum to talk nan measurement guardant successful a world afloat of uncertainties and conflicts.

Titled “Connecting Minds, Shaping nan Future,” nan Astana International Forum (AIF) gathered complete 160 world speakers and astir 7,000 participants.

The arena kicked disconnected pinch a plenary session, wherever heads of authorities and high-ranking officials expressed interest complete nan authorities nan world is successful today.

President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, highlighted increasing polarisation and accrued confrontation betwixt states. According to him, conflicts are brewing successful 52 states, while their economical toll amounts to $19 trillion (€16 trillion), aliases 13.5% of world GDP.

Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, underlined that world challenges are interconnected and require integrated solutions. Vulnerabilities only get worse erstwhile outer alignment occurs without soul stability.

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, President of North Macedonia, said astir nan request for reforms successful nan United Nations. The organisation’s bylaws were written 80 years agone and did not envisage nan exertion and complexity of nan world successful 2025.

Ban Ki-moon, serving arsenic nan President and Chair of nan Global Green Growth Institute, noted that ambiance alteration and deterioration of nan situation tin only beryllium solved collectively, while Director-General of nan Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Qu Dongyu highlighted that nutrient is simply a basal quality correct and bid is simply a prerequisite for nutrient security.

The plenary convention was followed by astir 40 panels, broadside events and one-on-one sessions covering trade, transportation, greenish energy, c neutrality, ambiance action, economy, finance, improvement of AI and more.

Trade: Positives and negatives

First and foremost, nan Astana International Forum is simply a level for connections and networking, including for business. As portion of nan forum, companies from France and Italy met pinch Kazakh businessmen and signed respective agreements.

France signed 15 agreements pinch Kazakhstan, cardinal among them being a €90 cardinal (€78 million) task for nan building of a hydrogen accumulation plant, which will thief alteration c emissions.

Italy and Kazakhstan signed 10 memorandums for a full of €180 cardinal (€157 million). The projects screen logistics, mechanical engineering, cultivation processing, business digitalisation and greenish energy.

Negative effects of waste and acquisition were besides discussed astatine 1 nan of nan panels, wherever speakers considered really waste and acquisition is weaponised coming to service egotistic goals.

If successful nan 2010s world powers were promoting free trade, nan upwind has changed successful nan past decade. Experts stock that waste and acquisition is an effective weapon, particularly successful short term, but what matters is nan extremity down it.

Transportation: Middle Corridor’s significance

Central Asia’s domiciled arsenic a transit hub betwixt China and Europe is undeniable today. The domiciled of nan Middle Corridor successful this respect and its early improvement were besides discussed during AIF.

“The turnover grew by 62 percent successful 2024 and reached 4.5 cardinal tonnes of cargo. The purpose is to scope 10 cardinal tonnes successful 2027. About $15 cardinal (€13 billion) person already been invested successful nan improvement of infrastructure and proscription clip sharply reduced to almost 14-18 days,” noted Director of Kazakhstan’s Institute for Strategic Studies, Yerkin Tukumov.

“The Middle Corridor will not lick each nan problems because it is and will stay very costly for definite equipment to spell complete land. But it tin beryllium a medium-term solution, 1 of nan alternatives,” countered Jurgen Rigterink, First Vice President of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Kazakhstan besides announced a caller carrier inaugural called Kazakhstan astatine nan Crossroads of nan Continents. Considering that almost 80% of equipment from Asia to Europe recreation done Kazakhstan, nan state is trying to easiness nan process by consolidating each proscription related services and companies successful 1 platform.

Climate change: Need for ambiance financing

While nan temperatures successful nan remainder of nan world are projected to turn by 3.7°C by nan 2090s, temperatures successful Central Asia will emergence by 5.8°C, almost doubly arsenic much. This will jeopardise a assortment of sectors, including h2o security, nutrient security, economical stability, employment rates and migration.

“Climate alteration is not a standalone problem. It alternatively multiplies nan threats and nan problems successful galore different sectors,” highlighted Zulfiya Suleimenova, Advisor to nan President of Kazakhstan.

“Climate alteration is simply a immense problem successful Central Asia and we cannot really beryllium speaking astir sustainable economical improvement successful our region without addressing ambiance related challenges.”

For nan region to efficaciously combat nan problem it requires robust funding, but truthful acold has only attracted little than 1% of world ambiance financing.

One of nan sessions astatine nan forum directed attraction to wide accessibility and affordability of ambiance financing. The convention was besides capable to bring together Central Asian ministries of system and ecology to talk acceleration of ambiance action.

Renewable energy: Relevance of uncommon earths

In nan discourse of increasing ambiance concerns, nan value of modulation to greenish power and diminishing of c emissions is underscored. Kazakhstan has group itself an eager extremity of reaching c neutrality by 2060. So far, emissions reduced by only 6%.

To thief nan matter, nan UAE-based institution Masdar has pledged $1 cardinal (€880 million) for nan improvement of renewable power successful Kazakhstan.

At 1 of nan panels, speakers highlighted Kazakhstan’s imaginable successful renewable energy, particularly upwind energy. The immense steppes tin perchance make 1 cardinal kW hours per year, which is 8 times nan request of nan country, leaving nan remainder for export.

Experts besides noted that improvement of renewable power infrastructure has driven nan request for uncommon world elements, which person go nan “new gold.” In that sense, Central Asia has an advantage of uncommon earths reserves. Kazakhstan unsocial has 19 retired of 34 uncommon world metals.

Artificial intelligence: Regulation of ethical use

No chat connected Friday happened without mentioning nan benefits and threats of artificial intelligence. The forum participants deliberated connected AI regularisation successful position of ethical and safe use.

“Soon AI will cognize much astir you than you cognize yourself. Are you fresh for specified accusation to beryllium shared without your permission? Even pinch authorities agencies, fto unsocial publicly. I deliberation we request to hole for a caller era of AI, look astatine it positively, but hole legislatively, organisationally, and personnel-wise,” noted Yerkin Tukumov, Director of Kazakhstan’s Institute for Strategic Studies.

At nan aforesaid time, Kazakh Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiyev noted that Kazakhstan is already preparing a rule that will modulate AI usage to forestall its abuse.

“The thought is not to overregulate, but to see immoderate of nan ethical standards,” Madiyev said, noting that nan rule is nether information by nan parliament astatine nan moment.

Over 2 days, nan Astana International Forum pulsed pinch dialogue, exchange, and collaboration. From parallel sessions to high-level networking, participants sought communal crushed and caller solutions, leaving pinch a shared committedness to shaping a much stable, sustainable future.