Astana Economic Forum in May to feature first Eurasian Business Congress
Heads of business associations from Europe and Asia, who have expressed a desire to become members of the Eurasian Business Congress, will attend this meeting, the press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
Businessmen and potential investors will discuss and share information on doing business and investment legislation issues among the countries participating in EBC. Negotiations and bilateral meetings are expected to be held during the meeting. Agreements on joint cooperation in investment projects implementation and expanding EBC membership are also on the agenda, according to an April 21 press release from the Atameken National Economic Chamber.
The participants of Business Forum of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs held on July 1-2, 2010, during the third Astana Economic Forum, supported President Nazarbayev's initiative on establishing a Eurasian Business Congress. The EBC was established as a permanent structure in order to enhance business cooperation among states participating in the forum and address topical issues of trade, investment and industrial linkages between the countries of the Eurasian continent. It will try to work on expanding mutually beneficial trade and economic connections and investment cooperation and interaction in development of high-tech industries.
Last year, Business Forum of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs brought together more than 500 delegates, representing 95 business associations from 34 different countries of Europe and Asia. Representatives of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan, the Russian International Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, chambers of commerce of Europe, Committee on Foreign Economic Relations of Turkey, the Association of Big Business in Estonia, the Association of Kazakh-Japanese business and humanitarian cooperation, the Pakistan Muslim League, the Association of Oil and Gas Companies of Philippines, and other foreign business organizations were among the participants of the Forum.
Business delegations from Russia, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Ukraine, Estonia, Austria, Azerbaijan and other countries shared their experiences on resolving economic problems. Representatives of the World Economic Forum, the Organization for Economic Co-operation in Europe, participants from Germany, France, Japan, and China delivered their reports on relevant economic issues as well.
The heads of 19 business associations from 17 European and Asian countries signed Agreement on establishing International Organizing Committee of the Eurasian Business Congress (IOC EBC). In fact, a new format of international cooperation of businessmen of whole Eurasia, calling for an extensive dialogue and discussion of current problems of post-crisis development of Europe and Asia economies was founded.
This year's fourth Astana Economic Forum will help identify new ways of developing the world's economy by concentrating on three key trends - the Global Economy & Finance, Business & Investment and Economy & Stable Social Development. Each of these themes will be addressed through lively exchanges by those taking part, and among experts and representatives of governments, international organizations, business communities, transnational companies, research institutes and universities from more than 80 countries.