The Astana Club held its fifth annual meeting on November 11-12, 2019. The discussion rounds were dedicated to the compelling issues of security and the strategic future of the Eurasian supercontinent in current emerging geopolitical and geo-economic realities. The meeting convened in Astana, Kazakhstan, featuring 50 renowned politicians, experts and diplomats.
The event is organized by the Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) and the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy.
Astana Club was established in 2015. It has become a global platform that united Eurasia’s key stakeholders in addressing the most critical and complex issues. Kazakhstan proves itself an independent and neutral platform for dialogue, open to every member of the international community, including mutual rivals and competitors. Astana Club is Kazakhstan’s vivid embodiment of multi-vector foreign policy and its mechanism for the development of the agenda in the Central Asia region.
The agenda includes the compelling issues of security and the strategic future of Greater Eurasia’s emerging geopolitical and geo-economic realities.
Key speakers of the 2019 event included:
- José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission (2004-2014) and Prime Minister of Portugal (2002-2004);
- Yun Byung-Se, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (2013-2017);
- Evan Feigenbaum, Vice President for Studies at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace;
- Franco Frattini, Foreign Minister of Italy (2002-2004, 2008-2011) and Vice President of European Commission (2004-2008);
- Dan Smith, Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIRPI);
- Astana Club united experts from the Afghanistan, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Egypt, Great Britain, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the USA.
International experts combined their efforts and expertise in drafting the report titled “Top 10 Risks for Eurasia 2020”. The discussions revolved around the main theme “Greater Eurasia: on the way to a new architecture of global cooperation”.
“Collaboration is not possible without honest, direct and transparent dialogue. Such dialogue results in new rules for cooperation based on current realities. In this light, discussions of the Astana Club are a dialogue about the most crucial subjects. It’s Kazakhstan’s input in the development of global cooperation,” said Dariga Nazarbaeva, Senator of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The key dangers for Eurasia in 2020 notwithstanding:
1. Consequential convulsions of the 2020 US Presidential Political race
The present leader of the US, Donald Trump, has just propelled a battle for re-appointment for another term. Be that as it may, his adversaries undermine him with the indictment. Vulnerabilities in the political advancement of the world’s driving superpower can present genuine dangers for the entire of Eurasia.
2. Worldwide financial downturn
The trigger for another financial emergency with worldwide ramifications could be issued in rising economies. In the midst of the surge of capital, developing business sector monetary standards risk falling, which will worsen organizations’ obligation issues and winding the worldwide emergency.
3. Heightening of the US-China encounter
The danger of an expanded encounter between the US and China was noted on the primary line of a year ago’s appraising. The issue stays applicable in 2020. The contention among Washington and Beijing can come to fruition into an undeniable key showdown.
4. Another race of atomic rocket weapons
In 2019, we saw the breakdown of the Settlement on the Disposal of Middle of the road Range and Shorter-Range Rockets (INF), which at one time turned into an image of the procedure of release. In 2020, the world will be stood up to with the likelihood of an all-out invalidation of the “rules of the game” in the field of vital weapons.
5. Intensification of the fight for innovative strength
It very well may be normal that the geopolitical division of the innovative space will turn out to be increasingly evident. Cases with Chinese organizations Huawei and ZTE are a sort of “run-in” instrument for the regionalization of business sectors for IT-items.
6. Military acceleration of the contention around Iran
The initial move towards a much more noteworthy heightening of the encounter around Iran could be the end of the atomic understanding. Iran’s encounter with geopolitical opponents can spread broadly into the internet. The circumstance will continually hold prisoner the whole security framework in the Center East.
7. Atomic emergency on the Korean landmass
The development of North Korea towards a harmony arrangement and the standardization of relations with the US is at a moderate pace. The danger of an inability to arrange is exacerbated by developing contrasts between the gatherings. The complexity of the circumstance can likewise be brought about by the consequential convulsions of the US presidential political race in 2020.
8. Another influx of fear-mongering
In spite of the thrashing of Daesh, fear monger bunches are encountering another stage in their improvement, growing the topography of activity. The illusory result of this risky advancement is solitary wolves. Simultaneously, the world is confronting outrageous appearances of the alleged “white” psychological warfare and fear-mongering of different beliefs, whose unfortunate casualties are Muslims and vagrants.
9. Forceful patriotism and populism
The change of populism into a main discretionary pattern and the enticement of legislators to just take care of complex issues increment the danger of destroying social clashes, including ethnic and strict ones.
10. Huge scale issues brought about by environmental change
In 2020, differences of significant forces risk totally incapacitating the procedure of battling environmental change, which will make it simpler for different states to seek after a narrow-minded approach, defended by national interests.
Worldwide enthusiasm to the exercises of Astana Club lies in the way that the Kazakhstan talk stage, made in 2015, for a brief time of its work has become a really worldwide stage that unites all the key players of Eurasia. The club permits creating basic methodologies by social affairs at one table gatherings from different geopolitical camps, some of the time in a condition of contention.
Astana Club is a distinctive articulation of the reasonable achievement of Kazakhstan’s multi-vector international strategy.
Over the time of its action, the Club was gone to by in excess of 200 speakers from 40 nations, including the USA, China, Russia, Iran, Germany, Turkey, Incredible England, France, Japan, South Korea, and others.
