Almaty-Washington video-conference in International relations faculty

Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy noted that our country is interested in early settlement and stabilization of Afghanistan. In this regard Faculty of the International Relations of the Kazakh National University named after al-Farabi with the support of al-Farabi-Carnegie Program on Central Asia has organized video-conference with Washington on the topic “Afghanistan after 2014: consequences of the USA troops withdrawal for Central Asia” on February 25, 2013.

This event was dedicated to the issues of Afghanistan stabilization after the withdrawal of allied arm forces.

On behalf of the USA party following persons participated in the video conferences - Mr. Scott Smith, deputy director of the Afghanistan Program at the United States Institute of Peace, USA, Dr. Frederic Grare, senior associate and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Ambassador Omar Asad, founder and president of Silkroad Consulting L.L.C., and a former ambassador of Afghanistan to France (2009-2011) and to Canada (2004-2009), , Dr. Martha Brill Olcott, Carnegie senior associate and co-director of the al-Farabi Carnegie Program on Central Asia and representatives of the Kazakhstan Embassy to the USA.

On behalf of the Kazakhstan party - representatives of the KazNU chancellor and faculty, Institute of the World Economics and Politics at the Found of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Leader of the Nation, Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Researches under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other experts of analytical structures and institutes.

Among the key-speakers were Dr. Sultan M. Akimbekov, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Fund of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Mr. Iskander Amanjolov, an independent scholar.

Video conference was held on the high theoretical level. Several issues have been discussed during the debates by both parties, especially the issues of Afghanistan stabilization and regional security after 2014.