On December 19 Shynar Toilybayeva, Director of CAREC Country office in Kazakhstan attended the Third Conference of the CICA Non-Governmental Forum in Chongqing, China. This Forum is an important initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the CICA Shanghai Summit, 2014. The first and second CICA Non-Governmental Forums were held in 2015 and 2017 in Beijing. This time the Conference was hosted by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, organized by the People’s Government of Chongqing Municipality and supported by the China Public Diplomacy Association.
The conference centered around themes such as the new collaborative concept of universal, integrated and sustainable security and comprehensive interconnectedness. In particular, participants discussed the potential for interfacing the Silk Road Economic Belt project and the Eurasian Economic Union; as well as building a cooperative mechanism and a new regional order given the region’s changing role on the international stage.
In her speech, Shynar Toilybaeva made a presentation on CAREC as a regional platform for cooperation in the field of environmental protection in Central Asia. In particular, she noted the great importance of expanding cooperation with China, as well as strengthening partnerships with other international and regional organizations and academic community.
Shynar Toilybaeva also highlighted the need to establish cooperation along the line of China’s One Belt One Road initiative, by taking into account the environmental agenda of Central Asian region. Following negotiations, the CAREC Country office in Kazakhstan plans to sign a Memorandum with a number of Chinese strategic partners for further development and strengthening the partnership.
