The first forum of young leaders of Eurasia is being held at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) in Moscow.
More than 150 young representatives of the scientific and expert communities, state bodies, public and non-governmental organizations, as well as mass media from the CIS countries, the Baltic States and Georgia.
The purpose of the Forum is to establish and develop direct professional contacts between representatives of youth elites, public opinion leaders, young professionals for exchange of experience, preparation and implementation of joint projects aimed at strengthening interstate relations that promote the integration processes in Eurasia.
The forum is organized by the Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (IPACS RANEPA) and the North-South Political Science Center with the support of the CIS Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund.
The forum is being attended by well-known state and public figures, deputies of Russia's State Duma and Federation Council, business leaders, in particular, the special representative of the Russian President for International Cultural Cooperation, co-chairman of the board of the Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund of the CIS member-states, Mikhail Shvydkoi, chairman of the State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots, Leonid Kalashnikov, Rector of the RANEPA Vladimir Mau, as well as leaders of the departments of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
Speaking at the event, Mikhail Shvydkoi described the forum as an important event for young leaders, which provides an opportunity for young active citizens of different countries of the post-Soviet space to meet and determine their interests in interaction with each other. "In addition, the Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund is ready to support the initiatives of young leaders: the projects presented at this forum will be able to get real support," the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza cited him as saying.
"It also gives an opportunity to communicate with serious experts in various fields, as well as to feel new trends in the post-Soviet space and beyond it," Mikhail Shvydkoi concluded.
The deputy director of the Integration Development Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Saadat Asanseitova, speaking at the plenary meeting, told about tasks that the EEC is facing today. "Speaking of the economic union, we are talking about four freedoms: the free movement of goods, the free movement of services, the free movement of labor and capital. Our market for goods is practically free, and in the future we will work to remove the existed barriers," she noted.
"After graduating from your national universities you can be sure that your diploma will be recognized without any confirmation. There are small exceptions - pedagogical, medical and legal specialties, but here we will also work on this issue. Citizens coming from our states to any of the EEU states are guaranteed both social and medical assistance, this also applies to the members of their families, there are no restrictions on recruitment. Now we are working on an agreement on pension security," Saadat Asanseitova said.
The head of the directorate of multimedia centers of the MIA ‘Russia Today’ Andrei Blagodyrenko, in turn, stressed that today's forum of young leaders of Eurasia is extremely important. "It seems to me that the forum is valuable because it gives an opportunity to people who live and work in Russia to look differently at their nearest neighbors," he said.
"In your countries, there are 10 large multimedia editorial centers of Sputnik, employing almost 500 journalists, producers, managers and radio broadcasters. All of them, except for four people, are citizens of your countries, and they are young, educated, professional and ambitious people," Andrei Blagodyrenko said.
"Today, Russia is turning in the direction of its closest neighbors, and the audience of our websites confirms it. Almost a third of the audience of Sputnik websites of near abroad are from Russia. Sputnik allowed me to take a completely different look at the potential of your countries. And if today's forum allows other Russian participants to do the same thing, one of its tasks will be solved," the head of the directorate of multimedia centers of the MIA ‘Russia Today’ concluded.
