JDV tells international gathering Aquino likely to lift economy

ASTANA, Kazakhstan – Former House speaker Jose de Venecia told some 2,000 Eurasian political and business leaders that reformist President Aquino “will likely lift the economy, fight poverty, reduce corruption and transform society.”

Addressing the third Astana Economic Forum, attended by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and representatives from the United Nations and World Bank, European economists and Nobel Prize winners, De Venecia said the Philippines and most of Asia “need an economic and moral revolution.”

De Venecia, a former president of the Philippine Petroleum Association and currently the chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties composed of some 300 ruling and opposition parties, said Asia needs an “integrated energy policy” so that Central Asian and Eurasian oil and gas, like Arab oil, would be flowing to east and west-bound pipelines - East Asia, South Asia and Europe.”

De Venecia said the Philippines and other Asian nations must align with the G20 powers and reduce budget deficit by 50 percent.

De Venecia drew sustained applause when he recommended that Kazakhstan, as large as Western Europe and rich in oil, gas, metals and uranium, be designated “21st country in an enlarged G20, to represent Central Asia.”

De Venecia cited that Kazakhstan and President Na-zarbayev now lead the Organization of European Security and Economic Cooperation, Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), and the Inter-Faith and Christian-Muslim dialogues.

He added that aside from Saudi Arabia and Canada, Filipino hydrocarbon technicians and infrastructure engineers are drawn to the giant oil fields of Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea.

De Venecia and former Pakistan presidential candidate Mushahid Hussain conferred with Kazakh ruling Nur Otan Party vice chairman Nurlam Nigmatulin and economic leaders Timur Kulibayev and Azat Peruashev before flying to Cambodia for meetings with Cambodian Premier Hun Sen and Deputy Premier Sok An.