The Astana International Forum - AIF 2023 will be held on June 8-9 in the capital of Kazakhstan under the auspices of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Dozens of international speakers and moderators will take part in 40 panels and side events. The cross-cutting theme of the forum is Central Asia and its role on the world stage in the face of new challenges.

Thus, the panel “Mapping Central Asia’s Connectedness” will examine not only the region’s importance in rebuilding the global supply chain, which has been hit hard over the past few years, and connecting the markets of the European Union and China, but also its potential for self-realization as a major global player modernizing its transport and logistics infrastructure.

The AIF 2023 program also includes sessions “Central Asia in the multilateral trading system: the case of joining the WTO”, “Organization of Central Asian Cooperation”. There is also a special session - a meeting of WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala with the ministers of trade of the countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan.

According to the program, Chairman of the Board of the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rakhimberdi Dzhepbarov, will speak at the event “Uncovering sustainable trade: the role of digitalization”, and Minister of Energy of Turkmenistan, Khadzhimuhammet Rejepmyradov, was announced as a speaker on the topic “Development of renewable energy sources in the regions: alternative ways to ensure energy security”.

The forum will also discuss energy security and the role of natural gas in the transition to new energy, the carbon finance market on the path to carbon neutrality, the movement from e-commerce to paperless borders, and much more.

The plenary session is expected to be attended by Emir of the State of Qatar Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay and others.

ORIENT news