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international
countries. During the Kazakh presidency of the UN Security not over, President Armen Sarkissian of Armenia said. He
Council, in January 2018, a meeting was devoted to "Building pointed out, that globalization is not new. It started in a
Regional Partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia as a sense with Alexander the Great and the old Silk Road. Today
Model to link Security and Development' Armenia was a crossroad, "a small state, but a global nation'
For the debate Kazakhstan had circulated a concept note, Armenia had very good relations with Russia and Eurasia
which emphasized regional integration, cooperation on and saw no contradiction in having an agreement with the
terrorism and economic development. UN Secretary General European Union.
Antonio Guterres presented a report on the subject. He said "Use Armenia as a bridge:' he said. Also, Toomas Hendrik
Central Asia has made significant progress on sustainable Ilves, former President of Estonia, pointed out that since the
development in recent decades. But the landlocked appearance of the Smartphone in 2006/07 there has been an
countries in this region can never achieve their full potential explosion of access to the internet, now reaching four billion
alone. "Growth, increased employment opportunities and people. "That reduces the chance of de-globalization" Baige
prosperity depend on accelerated economic cooperation and Zhao, Vice Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Commission
integration:' he said. Guterres noted further that despite the of China's National People's Congress, said she preferred
centuries during which the Silk Road was one of the most to call the current state of development in international
important trading routes in the world, trade between Central relations "new globalization" rather than "de-globalization'
Asian countries has fallen to low levels since they achieved Technology was changing the world very fast, with huge
independence nearly 30 years ago. The UN Secretary General opportunities for growth. Developing countries had had no
stated also, Central Asian governments have begun to access to information just some years ago. But now they had
intensify cooperation on water resources through bilateral the tools for independent development.
water commissions and agreements. These developments hold Sir Ivan Rogers, the United Kingdom's former Permanent
important lessons for Afghanistan, where water-dependent Representative to the EU, commented on Britain's June 2016
farming and agriculture make up nearly half of the economy, referendum decision to leave the EU in the context of de-
he said. The UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy globalization. The referendum result was a consequence of
for Central Asia (UNRCCA) was ready to help to modernize the financial crisis, he said. A lot of discontent had built up
the regional framework on managing trans-boundary water particularly about social inequality, which poorer people
resources. tended to blame on globalization. Those wanting to leave the
EU had a powerful slogan - "Take Back Control'
In Almaty at the Eurasian Media Forum, presidential advisor Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev
Karin noted that rapprochement is a basis for regional pointed out that Kazakhstan, the biggest landlocked country
integration. While there is today only political integration in the world, was not well placed to play an active part in
between Central Asian countries, in the future there could be de-globalization. On the contrary, his country had faced a
developed intersectoral programs of ministries of the different huge challenge after the break-up of the Soviet Union and
countries and businesses or public-private partnerships, he had to reach out to the outside world. "Kazakhstan favors a
suggested. Uzbekistan's Uzakov agreed and said a mutual dialogue of integration, which is only possible with trust and
understanding is needed between the countries. "We need confidence:' he said. He underlined that Kazakhstan is also a
to resolve issues which historically haven't been resolved, host for Syrian peace talks and had played a role in facilitating
for example concerning borders. Uzbekistan currently has a the international nuclear deal with Iran.
bilateral commission with Tajikistan to resolve this and also
in demining' he said, "There was significant progress in the
last two years'
Wayne Curtis Weldon, a former U.S. Republican Party
congressman (1987-2007), stressed that Central Asian
countries need to attract investors to grow their economies.
He noted that the U.S. was booming now, and there is
virtually no unemployment. He stressed that U.S. jobs were
not created by the State, but by private businesses.
With view to foreign investments Muhammad Olimat,
Professor at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, UAE, said
Saudi-Arabia and the Emirates had much to offer in Central
Asia.
Ongoing globalization
At the forum in a high-level debate the question of whether the
world is heading into a reverse process of "de-globalization"
after years of globalization was discussed. Panelists, however,
rejected the suggestion of de-globalization. Despite concerns
Baige Zhao, Vice Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Commission
about trade wars and rising populism, globalization was of China's National People's Congress
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