Astana Club's Conclave to Brainstorm on the Future of Eurasia

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Nov. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Astana Club, a leading international discussion platform of Kazakhstan, will be hosting more than 50 participants from 33 countries during the two-day meeting over November 12-13 to discuss the geopolitical and geo-economic challenges faced by the Eurasian region.

Toward a Greater Eurasia: how to build a common future» will bring together a large number of prominent politicians and diplomats, distinguished political scientists, authoritative researchers and leading experts from the largest think tanks of the United States, Russia, China, India, Europe, Middle East, Central and South-East Asia.

The participants will discuss the issues of interaction between major geopolitical players in Eurasia, namely, China, Russia, the European Union and the United States, as well as its political, economic, and security implications. The event will enable to have a closer look at the future of Greater Eurasia and the prospects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as the largest geoeconomic project in the region.

Kazakhstan is strategically located in Eurasia and has been playing a pivotal role in the region under the leadership of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The Head of state will deliver a keynote address during the plenary session of the conference.

The fourth annual meeting of the Astana Club will gather many eminent leaders under the same roof. This year's invitees include:

• Mathew BURROWS, Director of the Strategic Forecasting Initiative of the Atlantic Council, U.S.
• Evan FEIGENBAUM, Vice Chairman of the Paulson Institute, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, U.S.
• Mohamed ELBARADEI, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (1997-2009), Vice-President of Egypt (2013), Nobel Peace Prize 2005
• Yves LETERME, Secretary-General of the International Institute IDEA, Prime Minister of Belgium (2008, 2009-2011)
• Ivo JOSIPOVIĆ, President of Croatia (2010-2015)
• Paul STRONSKI, Senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, U.S.
• Marc UZAN, Founder and Executive Director, Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee, France
• Maria Elena AGUERO, Secretary General of the World Leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid, Spain
• Jose Manuel BARROSO, Chairman of the European Commission (2004-2014), Prime Minister of Portugal (2002-2004)
• Ariel COHEN, Political scientist, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, U.S.
• Shaukat AZIZ, Prime Minister of Pakistan (2004-2007)
• Robert KAPLAN, Senior advisor, Geopolitical expert, Eurasia Group, U.S.
• Danilo TURK, President of Slovenia (2007-2012)
• Boris TADIC, President of Serbia (2004-2012)
• Edward LUTTWAK, President ENL Associates, U.S.
• Vladimir YAKUNIN, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute, Russia
• Hassan WIRAJUDA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia (2001-2009)
• Franco FRATTINI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy (2002-2004, 2008-2011)
• Hamid KARZAI, President of Afghanistan (2001-2014)
• Johannes F. LINN, Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Former Vice President of the World Bank for Europe and Central Asia, U.S.
• YAN Xuetong, Dean, Institute for International Relations, Tsinghua University; Secretary-General, World Peace Forum, China
• Dimitri SIMES, President and CEO of the Center for the National Interest, U.S.

In addition to the listed distinguished politicians, a large number of leading experts from across the globe will also contribute to the brainstorming about the future of Eurasia.

Certain sessions of the Astana Club will be held in accordance with the Chatham House Rules, which provides with the anonymity of expert opinions, contributing to candid and confidential discussions. 

According to Kanat Jumabayev, Executive Director of the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy, the authoritative discussions at the Astana Club regarding the future of Eurasia will have a positive impact on consolidation of global political dialogue based on the principles of openness and equal interaction, consistently promoted by President Nazarbayev.

Being situated at the heart of Eurasia and acting as a major transit hub for the BRI, Kazakhstan lays special emphasis on political stability, economic cooperation and sustainable development of the region.  Astana, providing a neutral location for international discussions, is an ideal venue for this conclave, which affords crucial opportunities to reach agreements between key geopolitical players.

The Astana Club is the largest platform for dialogue in Central Asia, launched in 2015, and is dedicated to the discussion of issues related to geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges faced by the world and the Eurasian region in particular. The upcoming event will be organized by the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy and the Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) operating under the Foundation. 

Media contact:
Harry Nanda
+1416 732 5867
[email protected] 
www.astanaclub.kz

SOURCE Astana Club