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Malaymail (23 May 2019)

The 16th Eurasian Media Forum which began here yesterday is set to discuss various economic trends, particularly in the Central Asia region.

The three-day event has 500 delegates from 60 countries, consisting of politicians, journalists and experts from the East and West.

The forum, with the theme “The World Today: Transforming Reality?” will have panel discussions on diverse agenda, such as artificial intelligence and de-globalisation and kicked off with a series of intensive training sessions for journalists.

A roundtable session yesterday — “Regional Integration in Central Asia” — discussed the way forward for Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

One of the speakers at the roundtable, former US congressman Curt Weldon, spoke on nations empowering its people in order to drive the economy forward, giving the system used in the US as an example.

“There needs to be new innovations in healthcare, education, but you have to determine how to implement that and what the priorities are, whether the key challenge is determined by the government or the people.

“People around the world want a say, young people want a say. The question is do you unleash them and let them become the engines for driving the economy or does the government want to control that?

“Our system may not work in every country but it is empowering the people who have good ideas you become the drivers of your own dreams, become the people that allows the economy to grow and create jobs,” he said.

Kazakhstan is a key partner in China’s One Belt One Road (BRI) Initiative, in which Malaysia is involved through the successfully renegotiated the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project with China.

Yesterday, it was reported that Malaysia will be expanding its halal service to 10 new countries though China’s BRI, which includes Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Turkmenistan, Iran, Tajikistan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Malaysia and Kazakhstan have worked on strengthening bilateral ties over the years, including the former’s plans to bring more Malaysian investors into the field of education, transport, and food.

Last October, Malaysia and Kazakhstan launched the Malaysia-Kazakhstan Business Council (MKBC) to strengthen bilateral relationship.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/05/23/de-globalisation-ai-key-topics-at-global-media-forum-in-kazakhstan/1755575