The Concept of Eurasia and Global Megatrends in the Context of Eurasian Cooperation Marcell Horváth – Eszter Boros – Györgyi Puhl Over the last one or two decades, one increasingly pronounced process has been the disintegration of the unipolar world order and the parallel rise of a multipolar order. In addition to the United States of America as a centre of power, the Eurasian supercontinent – the largest landmass on Earth – and its economies are emerging as a challenger. A strengthening China has become essential for the future of the economies and societies of the supercontinent. But the question arises, how can Eurasia be defined? This paper examines this issue first from a historical and geopolitical perspective. Different, but interconnected concepts of Eurasia see the Eurasian region as a chosen central area. Eurasian cooperation has always been present in history, although to varying degrees: the ancient Silk Road of China stimulated the development of the nations living there since before the Common Era, through the exchange of goods, knowledge, culture and technology. Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey have all developed their own Eurasian visions, and China – reviving the old Silk Road – has launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that is shaping the multipolar world order of our time. Reinforced by the coronavirus crisis, the megatrends of the 21st century provide a good opportunity for the development of broad Eurasian cooperation, as represented by the BRI. Examining the trends in the future of
Marcell Horváth is Executive Director at the International Relations Directorate, Magyar Nemzeti Bank. Email: horvathm@mnb.hu Eszter Boros is an International Expert at the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB), the central bank of Hungary. Email: borosesz@mnb.hu Györgyi Puhl is an International Expert at the Magyar Nemzeti Bank. Email: puhlgy@mnb.hu
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