82

On August 5, 2026, an Off-Site Session of the International Scientific and Expert Forum "Primakov Readings" was held in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. The topic of the session was "Development of Central Asia in the Context of Global Instability: Risks and Opportunities". The off-site session was held on the sidelines of the VIII Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum at the Recreation center “Baytur Resort & SPA” on Lake Issyk-Kul.

The event was organized by IMEMO and the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund with the support of PJSC Rostelecom.

The purpose of the event was to develop dialogue between the scientific and expert communities of Russia and Kyrgyzstan on key issues on the agenda of bilateral relations and the role of the entire Central Asian region in the emerging multipolar economy. 

The session was attended by representatives of state authorities, international organizations, scientific community and business from Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan and other countries in the region. During the discussion, experts discussed the emergence of the Central Asian region as an independent hub of Eurasian relations – trade, investment, and transport – as well as the ability of national economies to turn external pressure into a resource for domestic growth.

The program of the off-site session was structured around two areas of discussion. During the first panel session, participants discussed the risks and opportunities for the region's socio-economic development in the context of global instability. The second panel session focused on the experience of integrating economic systems and responsible development of Russia and Kyrgyzstan, as well as joint projects defining the agenda until 2030.

At the opening of the event, Feodor Voitolovsky, Director of IMEMO, Sergey Vakunov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kyrgyz Republic, and Artem Novikov, Chairman of the Board of the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund, addressed the participants with welcoming remarks. 

IMEMO was also represented at the event by Deputy Director Sergey Afontsev, Deputy Director Stanislav Zhukov, Head of the Center for post-Soviet Studies Eduard Solovev, Head of the Sector of Economy and Politics of China of the Center for Asia Pacific Studies Sergey Lukonin, and Head of the Sector for Central Asia Stanislav Pritchin.

At the invitation of IMEMO, Professor Yang Chen, Executive Director of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, and Alexander Shirov, Director of the Institute of Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences, participated in the off-site session as speakers. Vadim Smirnov, Member of the Board of the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund, moderated the second panel session. 

Kyrgyzstan was represented at the “Primakov Readings” off-site session on Issyk-Kul by Akalbek Japarov, Honorary Academician of the Asian Academy of Sciences; Arzybek Kozhoshev, Member of the Board on Energy and Infrastructure of Eurasian Economic Commission; Adilbek uulu Shumkarbek, Director of the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic; and many others.

The “Primakov Readings” Scientific and Expert Forum has been held since 2015 and is as an international discussion platform for experts in the field of world economy, international relations and security. Over the years, the off-site sessions of the Forum have been held in Sofia (Bulgaria), Yerevan (Armenia), Munich (Germany) and Tashkent (Uzbekistan).