Kazakhstan’s reforms discussed at Chatham House
Kazakhstan’s political and economic reforms, further development were at the core of the discussion held on November 29, 2019 at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, also known as the Chatham House, London, Strategy2050.kz informs with reference to the Kazakh foreign ministry.
The event at the UK’s leading analytical centre featured the “Kazakhstan: Tested by Transition” report dedicated to the current state and prospects of Kazakhstan’s development.
Head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House James Nixey, associate fellows of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House Dr. Nigel Gould-Davies, Kate Mallinson and Annette Bohr, independent analyst Birgit Brauer, senior fellow of the Program on Central Asia at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at the Harvard University Nargis Kassenova, journalist Joanna Lillis and Kazakh political analyst Dossym Satpayev co-authored the report.
The discussion also saw the participation of Kazakh experts alongside prominent representatives of the UK scientific circles, represented by the Director of the Institute for Security and Cooperation in Central Asia Shavkat Sabirov and the Managing Partner of GEC Corporation Chingiz Kanapyanov.
The Chatham House report consists of nine chapters and covers topics as follows: power transit, economic development, the country’s relations with Central Asian states, Russia, China and the West, as well as the issues of identity and human rights protection.
The report also contains practical recommendations for Kazakhstan’s further multifaceted development, as well as for the West in terms of increasing Kazakhstan’s importance in its foreign policy priorities.
According to Mr. Nixey, Kazakhstan has been an overachiever in its region, but it needs to go further in order to meet its ambitions.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom Yerlan Idrissov stressed that Kazakhstan is actively addressing many issues, including international relations, environmental protection, economic development, the Astana International Financial Centre, and the implementation of own development model. He also highlighted that the country at this stage focuses on developing human resources and supporting the younger generation.
Prior to the event there had been a meeting of the Kazakh experts with the Henry Jackson Society, an analytical centre focusing on foreign policy, security, counterterrorism, social and political risks in Eurasia.
The British side spoke of its work, the reports the Society publishes on various relevant topics, as well as the Brexit-related political processes. For their part, the Kazakh experts briefed their British colleagues on the political and economic reforms on-going in Kazakhstan.
The Kazakh experts’ meeting with the Kazakh students studying in the UK wrapped up the event, where, at the University College London, Mr. Sabirov and Mr. Kanapyanov held the discussions on the prospects of Kazakhstan’s innovative and sustainable development and science, as well as shared their experiences within scientific and expert communities.
The meeting with the students was organised by the Kazakhstan PhD Association in the UK that includes about 80 PhD students from Kazakhstan studying in the UK.
