Second EU – Central Asia Economic Forum, Almaty, Kazakhstan, May 2023

EUSR Terhi Hakala gives her opening remarks on the start of the first day of the 2nd EU-CA Economic Forum

EUSR Terhi Hakala met in a bilateral format with the Executive Director of International Trade Centre Pamela Coke-Hamilton during the Forum

The “Smart trade – Reengineering business operations along EU-CA corridors” panel discussed challenges of EU-CA trade

The “Smart trade” panel also launched the “Central Asia Gateway” informational portal

From left to right, Ambassador of the EU to Kazakhstan Kęstutis Jankauskas, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to WTO and other international economic organizations Zhanar Aitzhanova, EUSR for Central Asia Terhi Hakala, Executive Director of ITC Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Deputy General Director of JSC “QazTrade” Centre for Trade Policy and Development in Kazakhstan Nurlan Kulbatyrov

The last panel of the first day was titled “Let’s get to business: private sector-led solutions for B2B connectivity”. It discussed cutting edge digital solutions from the private sector to stimulate business connections, and the panel also launched the Central Asia Trade Academies

EUSR Terhi Hakala met with the Ambassador of Sweden to Kazakhstan Ewa Polano

EUSR Terhi Hakala meeting with the Akim of Almaty Erbolat Dosaev and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to WTO and other international economic organizations Zhanar Aitzhanova

EUSR Terhi Halaka also had a chance to meet with Ambassador of Finland to Kazakhstan Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist, and CEO of EastCham Finland Jaana Rekolainen

EUSR Terhi Hakala giving an opening speech on the start of the second day of the 2nd EU-CA Economic Forum

The first panel of the second day, titled “Improving the Business Climate in Central Asia”, discussed factors that could improve business environment learning from positive examples in Europe

EUSR Terhi Hakala spoke with Head of the Eurasia Division at OECD William Tompson

The panel on “The Green Transition” discussed renewable energy projects and the need to achieve green goals to tackle climate change

The following panel on “The Digital Transition” focused on the need of digitalisation of industry, and its acceleration, to facilitate economic growth

EUSR Terhi Hakala spoke with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Odile Renaud-Basso

The high-level “Roundtable” featuring, from left to right (sitting) EUSR Terhi Hakala (as moderator), President of EBRD Odile Renaud-Basso, Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev, Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Zhaparov, Minister of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan Serdar Jorayev, Vice-President of EIB Teresa Czerwińska

The high-level “Roundtable” titled “Strengthening EU – Central Asia Trade and Economic Relations” was moderated by EUSR Terhi Hakala, and featured important speeches about enhancing cooperation between the two regions

The attendees of the 2nd EU – Central Asia Economic Forum listening to the high-level panel

For the last session, the key findings of the EBRD study “Sustainable Transport Corridors between Europe and Central Asia” were presented by Idil Bilgic-Alpaslan, Associate Director of Governance, EBRD

Vice-Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan Almaz Idyrysov, gave a presentation on the “Transcaspian International Transport Route” the results so far and planned infrastructure developments

Last panel, moderated by Director Peter Ustubs of DG INTPA “C”, discussed the two presentations, and the topic of “Enhancing Trade and Transport Connectivity between the EU and Central Asia”

Aside from participating in the Economic Forum, during her visit to Almaty, EUSR Terhi Hakala met with and spoke with the students of the International Relations Faculty of the Al-Farabi National University of Kazakhstan about her work, experience, as well as answered questions from the students

Al-Farabi National University’s Faculty of International Relations’ professors and students

EUSR Terhi Hakala also met with the staff of the International Relations Faculty to discuss EU-CA relations

EUSR Terhi Hakala shared advice and wished luck to the students who had their final semester exams coming

The EUSR with Faculty members and PhD students

EUSR Terhi Hakala with the Ambassador of the EU to Kazakhstan Kęstutis Jankauskas held a meeting with the Kazakhstan International Bureau For Human Rights and Rule of Law (KIBHR)

EUSR Terhi Hakala had frank exchanges about the human rights situation in Kazakhstan

From left to right, Director of NGO ECHO Pavel Lobachev, President of the "Ar.Rukh.Khak" Foundation Bakhytzhan Terogozhina, EUSR Terhi Hakala, KIBHR Coalition against torture Roza Akylbekova, Co-initiator of “Democratic Party of Kazakhstan” Inga Imanbay

Cloudy day in Almaty