Kazakhstan continues to deepen its capabilities in key sectors – from digital technologies and AI to clean energy and value-added manufacturing, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the Plenary session of the Astana International Forum on May 29.
According to Tokayev, Kazakhstan is making significant progress in digital transformation, reflecting its desire to become an IT hub in Eurasia.
The country also places emphasis on artificial intelligence, with the goal to become an academic and innovation hub with a number of foreign university branches and Research and Development partnerships.
Tokayev announced plans to create a pioneering pilot zone called CryptoCity in Kazakhstan, where cryptocurrencies might be used for purchasing goods, services, and even beyond.
Being the source of 40% of the world’s uranium, Kazakhstan puts nuclear energy as a top priority in its national strategy, the president said.
According to Tokayev, Kazakhstan remains committed to a stable, integrated, and future-oriented Central Asia – one rooted in mutual respect and regional solidarity. “Two months ago, the UN General Assembly formally established the United Nations Regional Centre for the SDGs for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty. This is a milestone in our multilateral development engagement. This Centre will support joint projects, offer technical expertise, and coordinate international cooperation.”
Tokayev said that Kazakhstan firmly believes that Middle Powers should have a vested interest in an equitable and inclusive global order, which needs to be reassessed and overhauled. Accordingly, Middle Powers should be ready to shoulder more multilateral responsibility.
Tokayev voiced his support of the expansion of the United Nations Security Council.
“Later this year, we will mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations in New York. Founded in 1945 by 51 states in the aftermath of a devastating World War, it offered a bold vision for a more peaceful and secure world. Today, the organization counts 193 member states, a vastly more diverse, complex, and interconnected global community. Yet, the core structures of the UN, particularly the Security Council, remain largely unchanged,” Tokayev said, adding that this disconnect between the institutional framework of 80 years back and the realities of today undermines the organization’s credibility and effectiveness.
In Tokayev’s opinion, critical decisions that affect billions of lives cannot be made by a handful of nations alone. Structural reform of the Security Council is essential to ensure that the UN remains relevant and truly reflects the world as it is, not as it was.
“Big powers should voice their commitment to preserve peace and security by upholding a major principle of protecting territorial integrity of all states. We all should strongly remain adherent to the UN Charter with no biased and selective approaches to its principles. Thus we would be able to restore trust in authority of the United Nations,” the Kazakh leader concluded.
Photo: akorda.kz
