Nearly 600 foreign guests participated in the Astana International Forum – AIF 2025, including prominent politicians, representatives of international organizations, corporations, investors, and the scientific community.

According to the forum’s agenda, numerous platforms for discussion and debate were organized, covering major contemporary global issues. The event’s opening ceremony was attended by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Presidents of Rwanda and North Macedonia, prime ministers and deputy prime ministers of various countries, and representatives of international organizations.

The event was covered by representatives of leading news agencies, television channels, and other mass media outlets from more than seventy countries.

Speaking at the forum, Ban Ki-moon, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, emphasized that no country can solve the serious problems caused by climate change, environmental degradation, and economic transitions alone. He stressed the need for unified regional responses that transcend borders and politics.

“We highly value the emerging green cooperation in Central Asia, especially following the historic unity demonstrated at the Samarkand Climate Forum held in April”, Mr. Ban Ki-moon said.

The delegation of Uzbekistan also took part in the Astana International Forum. Uzbekistan’s role in regional cooperation, energy security, and the fight against climate change was particularly highlighted during the discussions.

Topics such as the transition to renewable energy sources, transboundary cooperation, and efficient water resource management were discussed at the forum. Uzbekistan’s initiatives in these areas were noted as contributing to regional stability.

At a briefing held as part of the forum, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Alibek Kuantyrov, emphasized that the unity in Central Asia is the result of the political will of the region’s leaders.

In response to our question, “How do you assess the cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan?”, Alibek Kuantyrov acknowledged that the two countries enjoy a high level of trusted cooperation and added, “We are maintaining very close collaboration with our Uzbek counterparts”.

At this prestigious forum, we also talked with Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

“Our cooperation with Uzbekistan is developing very well”, Mr. Madiyev said. “We have joint IT parks in Silicon Valley, and we recently announced the establishment of a joint IT park in Dubai. We are participating in various international forums and exhibitions, jointly showcasing our startups and technological companies. As a result of our continuous exchange of experience, we are establishing venture funds and jointly investing in economies. Recently, I visited Uzbekistan, where together with our colleagues we discussed further improving cross-border telecommunications services, bringing the services of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan IT companies to the global market, increasing service exports, and expanding practical cooperation between the technoparks of our two countries. We reached essential agreements on these matters”.

As part of AIF 2025, the Director of the Agency for Strategic Reforms of Uzbekistan, Bahodir Rakhmatov, met with Aset Irgaliyev, Chairman of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The sides exchanged views on implementing the Joint Action Plan signed between the agencies in 2024. They appreciated the results and expressed their intention to continue bilateral cooperation with renewed momentum.

As part of the forum, Bahodir Rakhmatov also met with Binur Zhalenov, Advisor to the Chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan and Head of Digital Transformation. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sodir Meliboyev. The parties discussed prospects for increasing the share of electronic payments, developing national payment systems, and integrating digital technologies into the banking infrastructure. They expressed mutual interest in sharing experiences and developing joint approaches to deepen digital transformation in the financial sector to pursue sustainable development.

The Astana International Forum has concluded. AIF 2025 was essential in strengthening international cooperation, addressing global challenges, and seeking viable solutions.

Norgul Abduraimova, UzA