International Conference “Political Dialogue in the Focus of Global Transformation: Security Challenges and Partnership Prospects for the EAEU and Central Asian Countries”

On October 31, 2023, the city of Astana hosted the International Conference “Political Dialogue in the Focus of Global Transformation: Security Challenges and Partnership Prospects for the EAEU and Central Asian Countries.”

The event was organized by the International Center for Geopolitical Forecasting “East-West” in collaboration with the A.M. Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Support Fund.

Conference Objectives
The project aimed to provide an expert discussion platform on key issues, including:

Strengthening regional security
Kazakhstan’s foreign and domestic policy initiatives in this area
Advancing integration initiatives within the EAEU
Analyzing potential threats to partnerships among Central Asian countries amid global geopolitical turbulence
Opening and Key Participants
The conference was moderated by Professor Karlygash Zhandildinovna Nugmanova, Doctor of Political Sciences.
Opening speeches were delivered by:

M.D. Kozhakhmet, Chairman of the Committee on Youth and Family Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan
B.B. Temirbolat, Director of the Presidential Center of Kazakhstan
Additionally, a welcome address was sent to the participants by A.N. Borodavkin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Kazakhstan.
Distinguished International Experts
The event featured contributions from leading international experts, including:

Professor E. Khalilov, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Academician of the International Academy of Sciences (Austria) and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, President of the World Organization for Scientific Cooperation “Science Without Borders,” Head of the ZEOMAG Program at Wenzhou University (China)
G.R. Markhulia, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor (Tbilisi, Georgia)
O.V. Gaman-Golutvina, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia)
A. Shamse, (Delhi, India)
N.Sh. Doronshoeva, Candidate of Political Sciences (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
T.Sh. Khalilova, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Sciences (Austria)
V.V. Paramonov, Candidate of Political Sciences (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
R.I. Babaev, (Baku, Azerbaijan)
A. Tavadian, Candidate of Economic Sciences (Yerevan, Armenia)
P.S. Petrovsky, (Minsk, Belarus)
A.A. Vypolzov, (Kaliningrad, Russia)
The conference also included diplomats, representatives from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, Rossotrudnichestvo in Kazakhstan, as well as scholars and researchers from:

The Institute of State History (Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan)
The Presidential Center of Kazakhstan
The Academy of Law Enforcement Agencies under the General Prosecutor’s Office of Kazakhstan
The National Defense University
L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Institute of Public Policy of the “AMANAT” Party
Astana IT University
Various NGOs and media outlets
Key Discussion Topics
The discussions focused on:

The role and significance of Central Asia in ensuring regional geopolitical security
The foreign policy strategies of the EAEU countries, Central Asia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan
The prospects for forming a multipolar world
A special emphasis was placed on the “Belt and Road Initiative” and its role in strengthening China-Eurasia cooperation, addressing water resource challenges in Central Asia, and exploring humanitarian cooperation between Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Strategic Insights and Key Takeaways
Professor E. Khalilov highlighted the strategic importance of the Eurasian Bridge over the Mangyshlak Threshold to enhance the Trans-Caspian Transport Route, proposing it as a major infrastructure project.
Discussions also covered artificial intelligence (AI) applications in intergovernmental cooperation, digital security challenges, and methods for protecting national information sovereignty.
Experts stressed the need for expanding humanitarian cooperation between the EAEU, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. This includes fostering civil diplomacy, cultural heritage preservation, and implementing cross-border initiatives through public diplomacy tools.
Concluding Thoughts
The expert community agreed that constructive dialogue and partnership-based cooperation, founded on mutual respect and recognition of each participant’s national interests, are the key formula for ensuring regional stability in the era of global transformation.