Astana International Forum: Kazakhstan’s latest initiative to brainstorm key global challenges

India’s key partner in extended neighbourhood and Central Asia’s biggest state Kazakhstan will host a gathering of global significance, bringing together stakeholders from across the world to discuss challenging issues related to the economy, energy, climate, and regional cooperation and development.

The Astana International Forum, organized by the Government of Kazakhstan, will take place on June 8-9.

The forum is the latest in a slew of initiatives by Kazakhstan to promote dialogue amongst leaders from various regions and industries. The Forum was launched under the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which aims to tackle global challenges on climate, food scarcity, and energy security,

Forum will gather together “middle powers” to discuss acute global and regional issues. The timing for this event could not be more perfect as Kazakhstan, along with its neighbors (and much of the world today), continues to face daunting political, economic, social, and cultural challenges.

The forum is expected to serve as a platform for eminent delegates from governments, international organizations, businesses, and academia and will address four key global challenges that include foreign policy, security and sustainability, energy and climate, and economy and finance.

Prioritizing cooperation as a core tenet of a functioning international system is becoming more important in an increasingly fractious world, said President Tokayev addressing the creation of the forum.

“Kazakhstan has a long history of advancing constructive international relations, serving as a bridge between East and West – and while this policy has been firmly tested in 2022, it has proven resilient. We have shown the value of cooperation,” said the Kazakh President.

“Through the Astana International Forum, we hope to build new bridges and strengthen ties, as we come together to overcome the collective challenges we face, charting a new way forward – diplomatically, economically, and politically,” he added.

Kazakhstan is expecting strong presence from India at the Forum.