Global Economies

In 2013 and 2014, the EastWest Institute is organizing a series of high-level consultations to address regional economic security issues in Afghanistan post-2014, also known as the Abu Dhabi Process. By convening high level representatives of governments, parliaments and the private sector from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, China, U.A.E., United States and Europe, as well as from regional and international organizations, EWI intends to identify and promote opportunities for economic growth for both Afghanistan and the region. The first meeting, held in April 2013 in Istanbul, was centered on infrastructure issues.

The focus of the Islamabad meeting was be on Afghanistan’s potential to act as a transit route for energy supplies from Central Asia to energy markets in South Asia—a scenario with win-win potentials for many stakeholders. High-level representatives included Pakistan’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi; Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif; Advisor to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. Representatives from Afghanistan, Central Asia, India, U.A.E., Turkey, United States and EU drew from their experience.

The meeting was conducted under the Chatham House Rule with the participation of selected media.

Read the event's Summary and Recommendations report. 

The EastWest Institute will host “Uranium Extraction in the Arctic: Challenges and Opportunities for Greenland and Denmark,” a seminar with Dr. Cindy Vestergaard, a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Proliferation Prevention Program in Washington D.C. She will discuss Greenland’s potential to become one of the world’s top 10 uranium suppliers and the domestic and international policy challenges this opportunity presents, on Thursday, May 9, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. at its New York Center.

As Arctic ice coverage recedes at a record pace, the Arctic’s abundant gas, oil and mineral resources are increasingly accessible and open to exploration. With the recent announcement by Greenland’s Self-Government to repeal a 25-year ban on uranium extraction, Greenland stands poised to take advantage of the world’s fifth largest reserve of uranium. This will pose significant challenges for the Danish government as Denmark has all but forgone the nuclear fuel cycle. Greenland and Denmark therefore must work together to develop a regulatory and export control system from the ground up. 

Vestergaard is also a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) and previously worked at the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).

Please RSVP to usprogram@ewi.info.

For more information, please contact Kevin Ching at kching@ewi.info.

Can Afghanistan’s unique location provide much needed economic stability after the 2014 withdrawal of the international forces? Could Afghanistan's role as the transit route between South West Asia and the Far East, combined with the potential of Central Asia's resources and South Asia's growth, increase economic prospects for the whole region? The EastWest Institute organized a series of high-level discussions to address these and other questions in a forum on Economic Security in post-2014 Afghanistan.

By bringing together high-level political representatives and business leaders from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Central Asia, United Arab Emirates and Turkey, EWI is aiming to identify and promote opportunities for economic growth both in Afghanistan and the region—the “win-win” solutions for the economic security and stability in this part of the world. Over the next 18 months, the process focued on four major areas: infrastructure, energy, investment and water.

The inaugural talks in Istanbul, centered on the issue of infrastructure, included top level representatives of the Afghan government, parliament and private sector; Pakistan’s foreign secretary and business leaders; representatives from the Indian government and commerce; and deputy foreign ministers of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The U.S. and UN representatives for Afghanistan drew from their experiences, together with the representatives from Turkey, U.A.E., Germany, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, ECO and others. For more information, please see the meeting agenda here.

Read our event report.

EWI President and Chief Executive Officer John Mroz will give a presentation on "Cybersecurity: Crime Prevention or Warfare?” to a group of industry leaders on Thursday, March 7th. The talk is part of the Global Investment Risk Symposium, a two day series of meetings and talks focused on interconnected global risks and the countless forces that drive them.

The Symposium is an initiative the CFA Institute, a global association of investment professionals. It serves as a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community.

Click here to learn more about EWI's Worldwide Cybersecurity Initiative.

View Larger Map