In September 23rd-24th, 2019, Kazakhstan will host the 4thMeeting of Speakers of Parliaments of the Countries of Eurasia. Politicians and diplomats from all over the Eurasian landmass will gather in Nur-Sultan to discuss the theme: “Greater Eurasia: Dialogue. Trust. Partnership”.
From Spain and France in the West, to Japan and Indonesia in the East; from India and Oman in the South, to the Russian Federation in the North. This is the geographic scope of the 4thMeeting of Speakers of Parliaments of the Countries of Eurasia, set to take place in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan on September 23rd-24th, 2019. As of now, parliamentary delegations from 59 countries and 12 international and inter-parliamentary organizations have officially confirmed their participation to the forum, which is expected to be very large.
During the 2015 United Nations General Assembly, former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev had called for greater coordination across the Eurasian landmass. “The time has come to rally around the idea of a Greater Eurasia that will unite Eurasian Economic Union, Silk Road Economic Belt, European Union in a single integration project of the XXI century” – he had said, referring to the three major economic integration projects developed in the area. Four years later, after three meetings in Moscow (2016), Seoul (2017), and Antalya (2018), the Meeting of Parliamentary Speakers is set to arrive in Kazakhstan, which organizes the event in cooperation with Russia’s State Duma and South Korea’s National Assembly.
This year’s theme will be “Greater Eurasia: Dialogue. Trust. Partnership”. Under this banner, delegates and participants to the Meeting will be invited to “discuss and build shared visions and ways to ensure sustainable development of the Eurasian space” – the event’s website explains.
The delegations are set to arrive in Nur-Sultan on September 22nd, when they will be welcomed at the Astana Opera and Ballet Theater to attend the ballet exhibitions “Scheherazade” and “Chopeniana”. The morning of September 23rdwill also be dedicated to cultural events, with scheduled visits to Nur-Sultan’s museums and monuments. After culture, politics will take the main stage, with delegates set to hold bilateral meetings and to work on the Meeting’s Outcome Document. The day will be concluded with an official reception, to be held at the Palace “Saltanat Saraiy”, on behalf of the Chairman of the Mazhilis of Kazakhstan’s Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin.
The following day will be dedicated to the Meeting itself, which will officially begin at 10:00 in the Congress Hall of Nur-Sultan’s Palace of Independence. The Meeting will be divided in three plenary sessions, separated by coffee and lunch breaks. Around 19:00, delegates will adopt the Final Document, conclude the Meeting, and hold a press briefing to explain the outcome of the discussions. That night, the Ballroom of the Ritz Carlton hotel will finally host a reception in honor of the participants to the Meeting, who will then leave the country.
Diplomat Magazine is attending the event in coordination with the Embassy of Kazakhstan in The Hague.
