On July 7, 2022, an expert seminar was held on the topic: "Pivot to Asia": Today's Realities, Pressing Problems and the Image of the Future" organized by the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research (BISR) together with the National Centre for Marketing and Price Study (NCMPS).
The event was organized within the framework of the Great Game in Asia 2.0 media analytical project and is timed to coincide with the first anniversary of its launch.
In an atmosphere of frank, confidential and substantive discussion, the seminar participants discussed the current state of affairs, the existing problems in the process of diversifying Belarus' foreign economic and other ties in various subregions of Greater Asia, as well as measures to improve the effectiveness of promoting and protecting national interests there.
As the BISR Director Oleg Makarov noted, the effective multi-level switching to cooperation with Asian countries, especially through specific economic entities-exporters, requires high-quality expertise and well-trained motivated specialists-orientalists. But most important is to clearly see the goal, believe in yourself and your strength, and turn barriers and problems into opportunities.
In general, according to the general recognition of the seminar participants, in order to achieve a qualitative breakthrough towards Asia, it is necessary to systematically and persistently create a cross-cutting infrastructure there (trade, economic, financial, logistical, humanitarian), commensurate with the one that built with the West.
On the sidelines of the seminar, some preliminary data of an expert thematic online survey conducted by BISR were announced, according to which 56.5% of respondents from among specialized specialists spoke in favor of developing a separate Asian strategy in Belarus.
The summarised outcomes of this study will be provided in the near future, which will be announced later.