Stockholm, May 27-28, 2025 – An expert seminar titled “Central Asia, Europe and the Nordic Countries: Opportunities and Challenges” took place at the historic Sjöfartshuset in the heart of the Swedish capital. The event was organized by the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) and brought together representatives from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the diplomatic corps, think tanks from Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Uzbekistan, as well as international experts on Central Asia. Kazakhstan was represented by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS) and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Sweden.

Opening the seminar, Dr. Svante Cornell, ISDP Director, emphasized the growing importance of the Central Asian states. According to him, the region can no longer be viewed through the lens of outdated geopolitical clichés, where countries are seen merely as passive “pieces” on a chessboard. On the contrary, Central Asia is a region of emerging middle powers, independently defining their interests and contributing to the shaping of the international agenda.

Aliya Mussabekova, Chief Expert of the Asian Studies Department at KazISS, presented a vision of the “New Central Asia” – a region where cooperation is deepening, a shared perception of threats and challenges is forming, and collective identity is developing. Key drivers of this transformation include: growing geopolitical and environmental challenges, such as the declining Caspian Sea level; the expansion of transport connectivity, including the Middle Corridor and the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project; and the role of youth as a driving force of cultural and social transformation in the region.

During the seminar, Arnur Gabdullin, Counsellor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Sweden, outlined the progress of Kazakhstan’s large-scale institutional and economic reforms being implemented under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, guided by the principle “Strong President – Influential Parliament – Accountable Government.” He highlighted measures aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, protecting human rights, expanding the powers of Parliament, introducing a single seven-year presidential term limit, and building a resilient, inclusive, and diversified economy.

The seminar also featured discussions on the prospects for institutional and socio-economic transformation in Central Asian countries, the potential for cooperation with the EU in critical raw materials, the applicability of Nordic cooperation models, and the strengthening of partnerships between Central Asia, the EU, and the Nordic countries.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-stockholm/press/news/details/1008704?lang=kk