XII Astana Economic Forum in Kazakhstan to Focus on 'Inspiring Growth: People, Cities, Economies'

          - Over two days, May 16 to 17, 2019, the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Nur-Sultan, will see global visionaries and leading international experts come together to discuss the most crucial issues facing the world economy and formulate solutions

          The agenda of the XII Astana Economic Forum (AEF) includes a discussion of major problems, the development of new industries and technologies, and the global challenges facing Kazakhstan and other countries.

          The main theme of the forum is "Inspiring Growth: People, Cities, Economies". Participants will discuss new ways for sustainable growth, human capital development and capacity building in cities as international knowledge and innovation centres. AEF events traditionally take place in the format of panel sessions, round tables, conferences and business dialogues. A total of 50 sessions are planned at the forum.

          The most important of them will be the third round table on global investment (Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable) chaired by the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Askar Mamin; the international conference in honor of the 100th anniversary of the International Labor Organization (ILO) to study and discuss the report of the global commission on the future of labor; an interim meeting on the preparation of the 12th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2020; the first Kazakhstan forum on the sustainable development goals under the auspices of the UN; a strategic session involving the world's intellectual elite and the government of Kazakhstan under the auspices of the G-Global International Secretariat; a round table of ministers of finance and heads of central banks of the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia region, member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, and Mongolia.

          Astana Economic Forum (AEF) 2019, which will be held at the EXPO Congress Center and Hilton Astana, is set to witness the participation of 3,000 people. Half of them will be delegates from 100 countries. Among the international guests who have confirmed participation are Paul Romer, Nobel Economics Laureate in 2018, and Chief Economist at the World Bank (2016-18); Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund; Stanley Fisher, US Federal Reserve Deputy Chairman (2014-17); Rae Kwon Chung, Nobel peace laureate 2007, and honorary professor at Incheon State University, South Korea; Risto Siilasmaa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nokia, and founder of F-Secure Corporation; German Gref, President and Chairman of the Board of Sberbank of Russia; Armida Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations, and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

          The participation of such top politicians and experts in this year's edition of AEF is not only an indicator of the growing interest in the event itself, but also of the readiness for open dialogue and mutual cooperation. About 200 speakers will speak at the forum over the two days.

          Registration for participants as well as accreditation for media representatives is open on the forum website: http://astanaeconomicforum.org