ASTANA – This year, the Astana International Forum (AIF) on June 13-14 will reunite the global community by providing a dialogue platform for more than 5,000 attendees from over 50 countries, said AIF Executive Director Zhandos Imanaliyev at a press briefing on March 19.
The 2024 forum program itself consisted of over 40 panel sessions, informal discussions and other extracurricular activities. Photo credit: astanainternationalforum.org.
The mission of the forum, which is titled “Empowering People, Uniting Nations: Building a Better World Together,” is to provide an honest assessment of the global situation. It will identify major challenges and crises to address them through collaborative dialogue.
“Kazakhstan has long served as a vital bridge between East and West. This strategic vantage point positions us to drive crucial discussions and foster meaningful conversations among leading policymakers, business leaders, and public intellectuals worldwide,” said Imanaliyev, who is the deputy head of the foreign policy department at the Presidential Executive Office.
Last year, the list of high-level guests included Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Kyrgyz Republic President Sadyr Japarov, Chairman of the of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov and forme
Photo credit: astanainternationalforum.org.
The strategic partnership with the United Nations (UN) and the U.S. Cable News Network (CNN) brings more attention to the event.
Imanaliyev highlighted the four key pillars of the discussions – foreign policy and international security, international development and sustainability, energy and climate change, and economy and finance. These topics, he noted, will be brought up at 28 panel sessions.
“We are focused on high-quality discussions and anticipate a greater number of participants at this year’s forum, with the audience also displaying keen interest,” he noted.
The AIF 2023 plenary session attracted more than 1,000 delegates. The opening ceremony and plenary session was attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, world leaders, and delegates from international organizations.
