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international

Central Asians countries want to

f rge better integrat'on

Central Asia is one of the least integrated regions worldwide. During the May 2019
Eurasian Media Forum in Almaty, participants focused in debates on effective
cooperation to boost the economy of the five states. They also discussed impacts on

the current process of globalization.
By Annegret Matbari, Almaty (Text), Peter Kenny (Photos)

Five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Informational Agency of Turkmenistan, said, Chinds
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - favor increased Belt and Road Initiative is a potential facilitator of fruitful
regional integration that is effective for growing their cooperation. He noted that there was already a railway line
economies. This issue was in the center of a debate at the linking Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran. Still, there
Eurasian Media Forum end of May in Kazakhstan's former were more transport corridors possible, for example a
capital and biggest city Almaty. The city is legendary for its railway expansion to the Caspian region. The Belt and Road
apples and European apples originated there. Almaty sits on Initiative (BRI), aimed at connecting China, Europe and
the historical Silk Road, at the foot of the snowcapped Tian countries located along routes, was suggested by Chinds
Shan mountain ranges. President Xi Jinping in September 2013. BRI envisages more
The five countries already cooperate on international security than 100 infrastructure projects that would improve Chinds
issues including in combating terrorism, Yerlan Karin, connectivity with Western Europe via Central Asia and
advisor of the Kazakh president, said at a round table during Russia, including roads, railroads, pipelines, industrial parks
the forum. But there is no high level-dialogue yet on other and special economic zones.
issues. "There is a need for political, business and media
cooperation:' he said. The five Central Asian countries are an important geographical
Launched in 2002, the Eurasian Media Forumis an focus of the project. So far, Central Asia, while a culturally
international platform on global issues around economy, and historically homogenous region, remains one of the least
politics, environment, culture and media. According to integrated regions in the world, according to a study of the
Almaty's Mayor Bauyrzhan Baibek this year 600 delegates Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, of January 2019
from over 50 countries and more than 1000 journalists (Roman Vakulchuk, Indra Overland: "China's Belt and Road
participated at the three-day May 22-24 forum. Initiative through the lens of Central Asid').
Homid Saidov, a political scientist and professor at the
Pinning hopes on Belt and Road Initiative Russian-Tajik Slavonic University in Dushanbe, said in
Arslan Ashirov, Deptuy Chairman of the National Almaty that Tadjikistan had huge water resources and was
exporting hydropower to other countries like India and
China. "This is the opportunity for us,"he said.
Tatyana Velovaya, member of the Eurasian Economic
Commission (EEC) Board who is now the Director General
of United Nations European Office (UNOG) said that the
classical format of "integration" is often a custom union.
"This is possible in Central Asia: The EEC is the executive
body of the Eurasian Economic Union which is a customs
union and groups Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
and Russia.
According to Velovaya, water or power resources and
environmental issues are important for the region. She
recalled that, for example, the Baltic countries are part of the
European Union while resolving issues of their countries.

UN Security Council debate
Murat Uzakov, Head of the Department of Informational an
Analytical Center of International Relations of Uzbekistan,
Tatyana Velovaya, member of the Eurasian Economic
Commission (EEC) Board who is now the Director General of stressed that there have been debates in the UN Security
United Nations European Office (UNOG) Council on regional cooperation for the Central Asian

16 DIVA . INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMAT