AEF: How will global and regional challenges be solved?
Having started, First Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev told the forum so far has discussed a broad array of issues, resulting recommendations and conclusions, which enabled the country to deal with global challenges.
“Our regular meetings became a good tradition. After initiating the forum in 2008, I really appreciate its great atmosphere. It became a regular event, and this year it is held for the 12th time. Every year we discuss the pressing global and regional issues, strategic issues which will affect development of the society in the years to come. Over the past years we debated a wide range of issues, including the G-Global project, environmental problems, war on poverty, development of human capital, new energy. Last year we held the Global Challenges Summit. Two anti-crisis conferences were held as part of the forum with support of the UN GA. The recommendations and conclusions debated largely helped Kazakhstan timely address global challenges, successfully overcome difficulties”, first Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
He also underscored the country’s achievements as the country is among the top 50 developed countries, and the country is placed 30th in the doing business list.
“You know our development model has already proved its sustainability and effectiveness despite all the circumstances and forecasts. Kazakhstan, one of the 15 countries, was at zero with the worst starting conditions compared to our neighbors. Despite this, we set ambitious goals, achieved them, and you know it. We entered the 50 most developed countries of the world, the top 30 leading countries in terms of business”, he said.
The first Kazakh President commended the confidence the partners place on Kazakhstan. He underlined that the country tuned into a respected member of the global community, with its economy growing 20 times, and poverty shrinking from 40% to 3% since the country gained independence.
“I highly appreciate confidence of our partners, countries, friendly investors that trusted and trust Kazakhstan today. I think that such pragmatic optimism is a key exponent of confidence in the political and economic system of Kazakhstan. Our country has become one of the respected members of the world community. For the years of independence, the country's economy grew 20 times, the poverty reduced from 40% to 3%. We will further intensify our efforts in this direction”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
The Leader of the Nation also stressed that the Kazakh Foreign Minister identified a key body in attracting foreign investment. According to him, Kazakhstan's embassies abroad will become a single window for any investor who wants to work in Kazakhstan.
“We continue our work to join the top 30 most developed countries of the world. We adopted 2050 Development Strategy. All our strategies and programs are aimed at the common purpose the whole country work upon”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
According to Nursultan Nazarbayev, the global economy is about to lose at least 0.7-0.8% of growth.
“Estimates indicate the world economy will lose at least 0.7–0.8% of growth. Against this background, the world is entering the time of global socio-economic and technological transformation. It brings both challenges and opportunities to peoples of all countries. Today I’d like to share my vision on how the world will be shaped in the near future”, the First President of Kazakhstan said.
Nursultan Nazarbayev noted that the increase in population is no longer playing a key role in the growth of national economies.
“Productivity is the main driver. Over the past 50 years, only a third of the annual GDP growth in developed countries was obtained due to natural population growth. World experts are confident that those countries that can drastically increase this figure will be competitive in this century. Meanwhile, the potential for productivity growth today may be at least 2% per year over the next decade”, he stated.
At the same time, of these, about 60% of the possibility of increasing productivity comes from digital technologies.
The Leader of the Nation told that at various times Kazakhstan had served as an effective platform for negotiating different problems.
“Despite the young age of our capital, it hosted the first in this century OSCE summit, the Organization of Islamic States summit and the summit of leaders of world and traditional religions”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed to create a separate platform “G-Global Dialogue - Greater Eurasia”.
“The Astana Economic Forum and my G-global initiative can become a platform for such dialogues, and the capital of our country can serve as a meeting place for similar countries and their leaders. Creation of a separate platform “G-Global Dialogue - Greater Eurasia” within the Astana Economic Forum could make representatives of business, supranational bodies and integration associations, including the EU, EEC, SCO, ASEAN, discuss integration issues that leaders and politicians avoid, the differences between the parties are an obstacle to pragmatic economic interaction”, Nursultan Nazarbayev added.
The First President of Kazakhstan urged the leaders of the world powers to move from an unproductive sanctions regime to a direct dialogue.
“It’s important to move from an unproductive sanctions regime to a direct dialogue between the leaders of the key global powers that shape the future of the whole world”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
Yelbasy noted it is time to discuss ways out of the current geopolitical crisis between representatives of the United States, China, Russia, and the European Union.
“I have such conversations with the leaders of these countries. In general, there is a correct understanding of this issue. It is necessary to build this work from a dialogue of key think tanks with a further transition to ministerial higher levels. Once again I say that we can provide such a platform in our capital”, Nursultan Nazarbayev added.
Nursultan Nazarbayev told about 14% of the global workforce would be replaced by 2030.
“Thanks to the development and increase in technology availability, half of the working time in the global economy can be automated. In this regard, by 2030 about 375 million people around the world, which is about 14% of the global workforce, will need to undergo re-training and change their professions”, the First President of Kazakhstan stated.
According to Yelbasy, the mobile and creative human capital is a key aspect of the success of any economy. The requirements for human capital are rising, and the educational process is transformed.
“Introduction of new technologies makes some specialties unclaimed, leading to new professions. Even in low-income countries, many people work in the specialties that we didn’t hear about 30 years ago”, Nursultan Nazarbayev added.
Today, more than 4 billion people worldwide, or 55% of the world's population, live in cities. It’s expected that by 2050 the urban population will double, and then 7 out of 10 people in the world will be citizens.
“The cities play a significant role in economic development, their influence will only scale up. People decide where to live better. Their well-being is concentrated around the growth points that become megacities. Now investments come not to countries, but to cities. Already, more than 80% of global GDP is generated there, and urbanization can contribute to sustainable growth if it comes at the expense of increased productivity and innovation. Kazakhstan develops in line with the global trend of urbanization. Here it goes (urbanization) more actively, since 40% of the population lives in villages”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
As for Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev listed the cities that will turn into points of growth.
“Astana has turned into a 1 million 200 thousand city. In the largest city of Almaty there are more than two million people. Last year another million-plus city added - Shymkent. Two more cities we pull high. They will become points of growth, and as a magnet they will attract people, knowledge and technology”, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
These cities are Aktobe and Karaganda.
Yelbasy stressed that the future success of our cities is a key factor in the competitiveness of Kazakhstan at the global level.
First held in 2008 at the initiative of the first Kazakh President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Forum has already brought together 50,000 delegates from 150 countries, with over 20 Nobel Prize winners and 30 high-ranking foreign politicians among them.
In the wake of the Forum, more than 300 memorandums and agreements for over 20B dollars have been inked.
The Forum’s themes vary from year to year, embracing the issues of global development and setting a course towards a broad array of discussions. On the margins of the Forum, politicians, investors, leading economists and scientists stand a chance to find solutions to modern global challenges.
Adlet Seilkhanov
Photo by Bauyrzhan Zhuasbayev
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