Eurasian Summit: Multiple dialogues for peace

ISTANBUL

Marmara Group Foundation head Akkan Suver speaks during the summit. AA photo

The Marmara Group Foundation has released a statement wrapping up the 17th Eurasian Economic Summit, held between Feb. 4 and 6 in Istanbul, with the participation of 37 countries.

The summit, where the prime minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, president of the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina and former presidents of Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Mongolia, Romania and Slovenia were present, was concluded successfully. Officials from Romania and Albania, first ladies, the vice president of Azerbaijan, the deputy speaker of the Parliament of Bulgaria, deputy prime ministers, civil servants, diplomats, religious leaders, executives of the business world, NGOs and 24 guest ministers all attended the summit.

Some 426 high-level foreign guests participated in the summit, which opened with messages from Turkish President Abdullah Gül, Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev and a video message from UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova.

During the summit, the subjects of the economy, energy, involuntarily migration, human trafficking, sustainable development and change in local government, the importance of inter-cultural dialogue for peace and the information and communication technologies were addressed within the framework of “From Global to Local.”

The ongoing unstable monetary policies, which are expected to continue this year, were also stated as a factor that creates the expectation of alteration in the world’s financial balances.

Special emphasis was made on how the establishment of new productive transportation corridors between Turkey and Azerbaijan and the diversification of energy delivery routes would contribute to the economies of the region’s countries. The importance of the safe and efficient distribution of energy resources with regards to ecology and economy was also mentioned. The importance of transferring information from one country to another in the 21st century and creating a joint satellite system through the virtual Silk Road was consistently pointed out. The significance of the synergy of the satellite system that will be created with the joint use of satellites launched by Russia, Turkey,
Kazakhstan, China and Azerbaijan were also mentioned. The fact the negative impact of the refugees, who have been subject to involuntarily migration in order to run from the ring of fire of our region and seek prosperity and stability in Western countries, on the host countries’ stability as well as their economy was a subject of great emphasis. It was especially pointed out that human traffickers apply to the black market, meaning there should be a common struggle against this situation in international area.

The participants of the summit said world peace could only come true with multiple dialogues. Currently, there are no statements such as “my village, my city, my country” anymore. The new statement is “my world.”

Particularly religious representatives pointed out that dialogue should be advised by not only religious leaders but also academics, politicians, responsible administrators and nongovernmental organizations.

In the session of “Sustainable Development and Change in Local Governments,” participants noted the importance of sustainable development and its control. Otherwise, there could be corruption in the basic ecosystem and it could lose its benefit. The participants also said what they did in their countries about sustainable development and change in local governments. Moreover, the employment of women and the importance of equality for women and men were discussed. The principle of locality and the importance of the experiences of local governors in locality were discussed. During the closing ceremony, it was decided that the next summit, the 18th Eurasian Economic Summit, would be held on April 8, 2015.