Astana Economic Forum – a dialogue platform for tackling global challenges

ASTANA, Kazakhstan – The Astana Economic Forum 2016 under the theme “New economic reality: diversification, innovation and knowledge economy” has finished its work. This year AEF was organized by the Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan, “Economic Research Institute” JSC (ERI), and “Economic Initiatives Fund of Kazakhstan”. The agenda of the Forum traditionally included the most topical issues on economic development.

The Forum brought together more than 4500 delegates, including 1000 foreign participants from 90 countries, and over 200 speakers from 31 countries. Nearly 600 journalists from more than 140 media of 16 countries of the world worked at the Forum. Well-known politicians of European and Central Asian region met in a dialogue to answer the global questions – how to obtain peace and security, how to overcome the challenges in geopolitics, economy and financial system.

Since its inception, the Forum has been one of the most significant economic, business, academic and political events in the region and this year was not an exception. The Forum discussed the number of topical issues that range from regional integration, hyperglobalisation, and sustainable development to corporate social responsibility and blockchain technologies.

The Silk Road Countries’ Forum raised the issues of the most profitable partnerships in the field of transport, logistics and energy. “Promotion of competition: New “Game rules” session discussed the success and achievements of the twenty-five-year antimonopoly regulation. Whereas the session dedicated to UNDP’s 50th anniversary event highlighted the progress of Kazakhstan on the world stage – Kazakhstan has ranked the 42nd place among 140 countries of the world in a global competitiveness index. Among other important issues, the Forum brought to the agenda Corporate Social Responsibilities aspects highlighted by Samruk Kazyna Trust.

The Regional Think Tank Summit co-organized by ERI discussed issues of appropriate policy response by regional decision makers to navigate in the geopolitics; strategies to overcome the challenge of low commodity prices and weak growth in trading partners. According the Chairman of ERI A.Irgaliyev, the Institute entered the list of think tanks of the world – 2015 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report – and the top 100 research centers in the nomination «Leading think tanks in the field of foreign policy and international relations”, ranking 71st place out of 132.

The outcomes of the AEF 2016 will feed into the final recommendations to be published in the second half of June.