Conference Agenda

Conference Agenda in Russian (219 kb pdf)

Tuesday, June 14

Opening Night Dinner and Keynote Address
His Excellency Nursultan Nazarbayev
President, Republic of Kazakhstan

Wednesday, June 15

Session 1 – Building a Sustainable Base for a Diversified Market Economy

• Oil Revenue Management: Prioritizing Spending Allocations
• Encouraging Entrepreneurialism, Enterprise Restructuring and Privatization
• Capacity-Building through Foreign Direct Investment and Education Reform
• Fostering the Development of SMEs
• Furthering Technological Innovation: Funding R&D, Technology Transfer Programs

Session 2 – Strengthening Investor Confidence: Reform, Productivity Enhancement, and Adherence to International Business Standards

• Political, Legal, Tax and Accounting Reforms: Pre-requisites for a Strong Business Environment
• How East Asia Earned International Investor Case Studies on Competitiveness
• Productivity Enhancement: Managerial Innovation, Skills Incentives, National Certification System
• Internationally Recognized Approaches to Transparency, Corporate Governance, Civil Service Reform, Social Welfare and Corporate Social Responsibility

Special Luncheon Session: Adding Value through Transit: Multi-modal Shipment Between Europe and Asia

Session 3 – Beyond Energy: IT, Manufacturing, and Agro-Processing

• Identifying Kazakhstan's Strategic Sectors for Diversification
• Kazakhstan’s Home Grown Advantage: Potential in the Agro-Processing Sector
• Restructuring Kazakhstan’s Manufacturing Capacity
• Advancing IT & Telecom Infrastructure: How To Compete

Session 4 – Financial Sector Strength as an Engine for Diversification: Second Generation Reforms

• Kazakhstan’s Banking Sector Reform as a Model for the Region: Next Steps
• Creation of Domestic Capital Markets and Additional Sources of Debt and Equity Financing
• Reinvigorating Kazakhstan’s Stock Market: How to Boost Domestic Companies
• The Dangers of Rapid Credit Expansion: Maintaining Asset Quality
• Establishing a Benchmark for the Cost of Capital: Sovereign Benchmark Bonds to Stimulate Fixed Income Markets

Thursday, June 16

Session 5 – Opportunities in the Energy Sector

• Global Energy Insecurity & the Growing Importance of Central Asia as an Energy Provider
• Untapped Potential: Exploring Offshore Energy Opportunities in the North Caspian
• The Energy Boom as a Springboard for Creating Related Domestic Industries
• Revenue Management: Increasing the Transparency of Resource-Based Income
• Accessing World Markets: Choosing a Pipeline Route for Future Oil Exports
• Contract Sanctity: Future Investment Implications of Priority Right Law and Retroactivity

Session 6 Part 1 – Regional Cooperation on Trade and Investment

• The Central Asian Trade and Investment Framework: Accelerating Intra-Regional Trade
• The U.S.-Central Asia TIFA: New U.S. Investment in the Region?

Special Luncheon Session – What WTO Accession Would Mean for Kazakhstan & the Region

Session 6 Part 2 – Regional Energy and Security Cooperation

• Events in Afghanistan and the Aftermath of the War in Iraq: Regional Economic Consequences
• Capitalizing on China’s Booming Export Market, Demand for Energy and Stake in Developing Central Asia’s Hydroelectric Power Potential
• Areas of Opportunity for Increased Economic Cooperation with Russia, i.e. Oil Trasport
• Cross-Border Strategies for Cooperation on Fossil Fuels, Water Management & Security
• Progress and Potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, EURASEC and other Regional Institutions

Session 7 – Concluding Remarks: The Path Forward for Kazakhstan