ASTANA – The second annual Astana International Forum (AIF) will take place on June 13-14 and will be chaired by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service announced on Feb. 12.
The premier international conference in Central Asia, which demonstrated its inaugural success in 2023 by drawing over 5,000 participants from more than 50 countries, will convene world and business leaders. They will engage in dialogue on pressing issues and seek new opportunities for collaboration.
Under the theme of Empowering People, Uniting Nations: Building a Better World Together, the AIF program will once more be split into four pillars. They are foreign policy and international security, international development and sustainability, energy and climate change, and economy and finance.
The two-day forum will feature panel sessions, armchair discussions, and dedicated networking opportunities to generate actionable results for the revival of multilateralism and new opportunities for bilateral partnerships.
President Tokayev expressed pride in holding the AIF, which helps protect and enhance the international system in a world marked by polarization and fragmentation.
“Kazakhstan has long served as a vital bridge between East and West. This strategic vantage point on the world – geographically, culturally, and politically – positions us to drive crucial discussions and foster meaningful conversation among the world’s foremost policymakers, business leaders, and public intellectuals,” he said.
The AIF 2024 holds particular importance for Kazakhstan on the world stage, as the country is set to chair several key international organizations this year, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, the Organization of Turkic States, the Islamic Food Security Organization, and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.
Registration for the event is now open, and interested parties can sign up through the official website.