Era of megacities is coming and there will be a competition between them, which are fighting for investments, the best minds and technologies.

"This is important for the economy of ideas and knowledge. Given this, Kazakhstan has started implementing the agglomeration development strategy. Previously we have had only one city with a population of more than one million people (Almaty), now Astana, Shymkent have been added. This process will continue, so it's not accidental that one of the events within the framework of the 20th anniversary of our capital Astana, which we will celebrate literally on July 5, will be the holding of a forum of major cities, countries located on the Silk Road", Nursultan Nazarbayev said, speaking at the Astana Economic Forum.