Participation in events related to the Eurasia Forum 2023 in Budapest
On 23-24 November 2023, the Budapest Eurasia Forum 2023, organised by Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB), the central bank of Hungary, was held in Budapest. The theme of the forum was "Sustainable Transformation". Wu Hongbo, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for European Affairs, delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, and a group of CEDPR experts were invited to attend the forum and participate in the seminars.
From pandemics to climate change, from poverty to inequality, changing circumstances and pressing crises have challenged the Eurasian continent, but have made the people of this land increasingly determined to find a path towards global interconnectedness and sustainable development. In order to cope with the uncertainties of the development process, people must not only passively adapt to change, but also proactively transform themselves to meet the expected difficulties. In this process, bridging differences and working together are the best "catalysts" for accelerating the realisation of goals.
The Eurasia Forum was organised against this backdrop and consisted of an Opening Ceremony and six panel discussions. More than 50 guests from 15 countries, including China, Hungary, Austria, Germany, India, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Poland, Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, expressed their views on a wide range of topics, including finance, economy, multilateral co-operation, geo-politics, technology and education.
In the opening session, the Governor of the Central Bank of Hungary delivered a welcoming speech and expressed his best wishes for the Forum. In the symposium, Mihály VARGA, Minister of Finance of Hungary, Wu Hongbo, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for European Affairs, Kim Sung-han, Professor of the Graduate School of International Studies of the University of Korea and National Security Advisor to the Former President of the Republic of Korea, and Cai Xuejun, General Manager of the Silk Road Fund, and other government officials, experts and academics gave speeches.
CEDPR experts said that technological development needs to be supported by a broad application market and sufficient innovation capacity, and countries should strengthen the training of innovative talents and actively join hands to explore cutting-edge technologies, so as to cope with the common risk challenges brought about by climate change and digital economy, etc. China is playing the role of an enabler, but the world's sustainable development needs more cooperation. China is playing the role of an enabler, but the world's sustainable development requires more cooperation among countries. Taking the Belt and Road Initiative as an example, China has strong infrastructure construction capacity, and the successful implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative over the past decade has not only provided lessons for the development of countries in the Global South, but has also provided opportunities for the development of countries in the Global South. The successful implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative over the past decade has not only provided reference for the development of countries in the "Global South", but also for the construction of Europe-Asia co-operation projects such as the EU Gateway Programme and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
The Budapest Eurasia Forum 2023 aims to bring together senior policy makers, entrepreneurs, business leaders and academics from Europe and Asia in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, at the heart of Central and Eastern Europe, to discuss how sustainable growth and regional cooperation can be fostered in a mutually beneficial manner. The Eurasia Forum 2023 in Budapest was dedicated to finding answers to topical issues such as the secret of sustainable finance, geopolitics in technology, the path to full digitalisation and technological singularity, the role of environmental, social and governance principles and guidelines in the operation of multilateral development banks and financial institutions.