State Counselor Karin commends CA-China partnership at Think Tank Forum in Astana
Kazakh State Counselor Erlan Karin attended the opening of the 5th Think Tank Forum “Central Asia-China: New Horizons of Regional Partnership” on Tuesday, Kazinform News Agency cites Akorda.
The forum was hosted by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the Kazakh President (KazISS) jointly with the Institute of East European, Russian, and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
Attending the event were representatives of leading think tanks, government agencies, scientific institutions as well as international organizations from Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
In his remarks, Karin noted the dynamic relationship between China and the Central Asian countries, highlighting the need to strengthen expert and multilateral dialogue. He said: “Astana will host the second China – Central Asia summit later this year, which is set to become another step towards strategic rapprochement”.
CASS President Gao Xiang, in a video message to the forum, stressed the priority areas of cooperation, including security, technological development, education, tourism, archeology and sport.
In turn, KazISS director Yerkin Tukumov pointed out the growing role think tanks play amid global turbulence. He hailed the Middle Corridor as strategic, calling it a “future interregional economic artery” as well as outlined three key areas of cooperation, including developing transport corridors, training personnel and water security.
The forum featured themed sessions discussing the strategic architecture of regional cooperation, development of transit and economic hubs, as well as technological interaction in digitalization, AI and innovative ecosystems.
State Counselor Karin spoke about the cooperation between Astana and Beijing as well as Kazakhstan’s ongoing reforms and priority development areas.
The survey conducted by KazISS shows 73.3% of the citizens and 79.5%, according to the Public Policy Institute, believe the country is developing in the right direction, demonstrating the high level of consolidation of the state and the society, said Karin.
Earlier it was reported that a meeting of the Republican Commission on state symbols and heraldry of departmental and other equated awards took place under the chairmanship of Kazakh State Counselor Erlan Karin.
