By: Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), Islamabad:
On 13–14 June 2024, Kazakhstan is set to host the Astana International Forum (AIF) in its capital city, Astana, under the theme ‘Empowering People, Uniting Nations: Building a Better World Together’, an initiative spearheaded by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. This forum aims to provide a platform for high-level delegates, comprising representatives from foreign governments, international organizations, businesses, and academic experts, to engage in dialogue and seek solutions to pressing global issues such as climate change, food shortages, and energy security.
The event serves as a global platform facilitating discussions among experts, business leaders, and governmental bodies from East and West, the Global North and the Global South, with the primary objective of exploring practical solutions to global challenges in foreign policy, climate change, and economic sustainability, fostering unity to address key global issues.
Among the joint sessions planned within the framework of the Astana International Forum are discussions on topics such as the development of transport infrastructure to bolster the logistics sector and sustainable development initiatives. The theme of the forum revolves around shared responsibility for collectively building a better world, emphasizing the importance of working together across the public and private sectors to achieve consensus on shared priorities.
The Astana International Forum (AIF) aims to attract international investors for business in Kazakhstan by discussing opportunities and emphasizing the necessity of providing infrastructure, predictability, cross-border international peace, commitment, and alignment of interests. As countries explore new markets and diversify traditional trade routes, Kazakhstan can leverage its infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted trade flows along the route. The capabilities of the Astana International Financial Centre can be utilized to structure deals, attract investments, and facilitate cross-border transactions.
Role of Kazakhstan : Against the backdrop of ongoing and emerging geopolitical challenges, Kazakhstan actively contributes to regional and international initiatives aimed at enhancing cooperation not only among regional countries but also for the global world, prioritizing pragmatic dialogue and partnership to strengthen its international standing and foster stability and prosperity in the region. Kazakhstan’s foreign policy remains characterized by consistency, balance, and a commitment to peaceful resolutions, earning the country international trust and support for its diplomatic initiatives.
The Kazakhstan leadership’s pivotal role has been instrumental in shaping and galvanizing the nation’s commitment to assuming a proactive and responsible role on the global stage. Kazakhstan advocates for a future built upon principles of reconciliation, collaboration, negotiation, and openness, emphasizing the necessity of cooperation over conflict, hegemony, confrontation, or isolationism. With Kazakhstan set to chair several international organizations in 2024, the nation’s contribution to promoting regional and global peace and prosperity is increasing significantly for the well-being of the world.
Kazakhstan’s conscious effort to contribute to the development of regional initiatives and strengthen cooperation among Central Asian countries is reflected in its diplomatic priorities, demonstrating a commitment to enhancing the country’s international position through pragmatic dialogue and partnership.
In an increasingly polarized world, Kazakhstan plays a crucial role as a bridge between East and West, North and South, owing to its unique history and geography as a meeting point between cultures, fostering diversity and mutual respect among its people. This spirit of cooperation and collaboration is reflected in Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy, which has served as a cornerstone of its diplomatic approach for many years.
The nation’s unwavering dedication to mutual respect and global cooperation extends to initiatives aimed at addressing pressing global challenges, including terrorism, extremism, energy security, economic instability, climate change, pandemics, and refugee crises. With a high focus on cooperation, understanding, and collaboration, the AIF aims to confront all kinds of crises, including terrorism, extremism, and climate change, championing a renewed commitment to peaceful coexistence and meaningful diplomatic dialogue.
The goals of the Astana International Forum (AIF) are to rebuild a culture of multilateralism on a global scale by providing a platform for all powers to discuss viewpoints, present solutions to challenges, and facilitate enhanced engagement among nations.
Kazakhstan’s commitment to peace is evident through its initiatives and facilitation of peaceful resolutions, offering mediation between conflicting parties, and maintaining diplomatic engagement through a proactive foreign policy under President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a strong advocate for intercultural and interreligious communication, as well as disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, reinforcing Kazakhstan’s role as a promoter of global peace and cooperation on the world stage.
