On Tuesday April 26th the “Socio-economic Development Initiatives of EEU Countries and Questions About Conjunction with the ‘Silk Road Economic Zone” round table was held at the Kazpotrebsoyuz Karagandinskiy Economic University.
The round table was held on the eve of the IV International Investment Forum KaragandaInvest 2016. Organizers included the Fund for the Socio-economic Development “Eurasian Community”, South Ural State University, Kazpotrebsoyuz Karagandinskiy Economic University, and the regional national chamber of entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan.
Pro-rector of research and strategic and innovative development at Kazpotrebsoyuz Karagandinskiy Economic University, candidate of economic science, and assistant professor Dmitriy Ulybyshev offered participants opening words, noting the importance of holding such events. Dmitriy Nikolayevich proposed discussion of the interaction mechanisms of business, science, state, and public organization of the EEU countries to stimulate mutually beneficial innovative development of national industrial complexes and the formation of the conditions for their constant technological renewal.
SUSU pro-rector of international communications, doctor of economic sciences, professor Viktor Katochkov noted that integration into the global economy strengthens the natural dependence on cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia and the necessity of uniting the potentials of two countries within the common economic space of the EEU. Such a union allows for the execution of coordinated economic politics, the formation of a common market for goods, services, capital, and work force, and the development of unified transport, energy, and informational systems in the post-soviet space.
According to Dmitry Gluharev, deputy head of the Office of Foreign Economic Activities of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Chelyabinsk Region, realization of the “Silk Road Economic Zone” project for countries of the EEU would open up potential for the development of and subsequent deepening of economic and trade cooperation between countries located along the Silk Road path and will create the necessary conditions for the growth of these countries’ investment attractiveness.
He noted that during the realization of the regional integrative projects the interests of all countries of the region must be accounted for, based on mutual benefits from economic, trade, infrastructure, and investment cooperation. Time and great effort will be needed to create the institutional and legal frameworks.
As part of his speech, director of the institute of New Economic and System Analysis of Kazpotrebsoyuz Karagandinskiy Economic University, doctor of economic science, professor Kuandyk Ainabek, speaking about the points of intersection of the EEU and the Chinese initiative “Silk Road Economic Zone”, noted three main components, which he believes will make up the base of economic cooperation. First and foremost, this is the development of a transportation infrastructure and its integration with international transport and communication passages.
«Kazakhstan is already ready today to become an important component in the transport and transit line connecting the Chinese, European, Middle Eastern, and South Asian markets,” – noted the professor.
In order to unify the transport and infrastructure potential of these countries, it has been suggested to prepare a program of transport and communication cooperation between the member-states of the EEU and China.
The next important component, in his opinion, could be the adoption of a system of measures to strengthen the economic, industrial, and investing cooperation of the member-states of the EEU and China. The third element which he named was the sphere of innovation and technology. According to the research, it is important to create opportunities for the use of resource-saving, alternative, and renewable sources of energy. The exchange of technologies and innovations within the EEU and the “Silk Road Economic Zone” project will have a powerful impact on the industrial development and, as a whole, increase the competitiveness of the member-states’ economies.
Deputy director of the Institute of Regional Development (Karaganda), doctor of economic science, professor Tatiyana Pritvorova discussed modern models of regional competitiveness and the prospects for their applications within EEU integration.
Also, in online format, representatives of academic and business societies of two union governments held a presentation on an internet platform for entrepreneurs from Russia and countries of central Asia. The portal will allow representatives of small and middle-sized business of countries of the EEU to establish direct contact with businessmen of the Ural region, participate in joint projects, and to make deals.
In addition, as part of the round table, participants discussed issues of ensuring the rights and legal interests of subjects of economic activity within the EEU integration, and also the role of the Karagandinskiy regional chamber of entrepreneurs in the development of small and middle-sized business in regions of Kazakhstan.
University Photo: analitika.kz