Tokayev highlights CA’s future as a transit hub, urges EU to promote cooperation in AI
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that with the necessary infrastructure and coordinated efforts of the countries in the region, Central Asia can become a prosperous transit hub, ensuring efficient supply chains between East and West, Kazinform News Agency reports citing the Akorda press service.
In his remarks at the first Central Asia – European Union Summit “Investing in the Future” in Samarkand, the Head of State emphasized that last year alone, the volume of container transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) increased by 62%, amounting to 4.5 million tons. Plans are in place to ramp up the cargo flow to 10 million tons by 2027.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also expressed support to the EU's Global Gateway Strategy, which promotes the expansion of sustainable transport links in the region.
President Tokayev pointed out that the country actively promotes decarbonization initiatives. In his words, Kazakhstan plays a pivotal role in producing clean energy, providing about 40% of the world's nuclear fuel supply. Last year, the country established a Regional Project Office on climate change and green energy.
In his speech, the Head of State paid utmost attention to digital technologies and the development of artificial intelligence (AI).
“Kazakhstan is actively investing in those areas. At the beginning of the year, our country created an International Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence under the President. Kazakhstan is implementing a program to train 100,000 IT specialists. A high-tech center, Alem.AI, is being established in Astana to promote innovation, create startups, and conduct research in this field. We have also launched a Venture Fund for accelerated AI development. Through the Team Europe initiative, the European Union supports the Central Asian countries in developing cooperation in digital technologies. Kazakhstan is stands ready to cooperate and exchange experience in that field. In this regard, I propose launching the "Central Asia-European Union" Innovation Campus at Astana Hub,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Earlier, it was reported that the first Central Asia – European Union Summit has kicked off in Samarkand. In his remarks, the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, said Kazakhstan is ready to boost exports to the EU by over $2 billion.