Kazakhstan Hosts Aqaba Process Summit on AI Security, Drawing Regional Leaders to Astana
Regional leaders convened in Astana to address AI security, while South Korea and Timor-Leste deepened ties, and foreign ministers discussed de-escalation.
The conversation that mattered
The Aqaba Process Summit on Artificial Intelligence Security convened in Astana, Kazakhstan, drawing multiple heads of state and ministers to address the emerging global challenge. Hosted by Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the summit saw participation from Jordan's King Abdullah II, Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Speaker Sahiba Gafarova of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis and Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev also attended. Discussions focused on developing a shared understanding of AI security threats and coordinating practical response measures, building on the Aqaba Process's mandate to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
The platform, initiated by King Abdullah II in 2015, aims to foster international cooperation among security agencies and military officials. This gathering signals a growing recognition among regional states of the need for collaborative frameworks to manage the risks associated with advanced AI technologies. The next steps will likely involve further expert-level dialogues to translate these high-level commitments into concrete policy actions.
Today's meetings
President Lee Jae-myung (South Korea)
Actor Two: President José Ramos-Horta (Timor-Leste)
Venue Or Format: Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul
What Was Discussed: Expanding cooperation across diplomacy, security, intellectual property, climate change, education, and people-to-people exchanges.
Signal: Marks the first state visit by a Timor-Leste head of state to South Korea, deepening bilateral ties.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (Iran)
Actor Two: Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (UAE)
Venue Or Format: Phone call
What Was Discussed: Regional developments and the importance of de-escalation for stability.
Signal: Reflects ongoing diplomatic efforts to manage tensions in the Middle East.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs NAKASONE Yasutaka (Japan)
Actor Two: Ambassador Mario VATTANI (Italy)
Venue Or Format: Courtesy call, Tokyo
What Was Discussed: Bilateral cooperation, including security and economic security, and Japan's concerns regarding the EU's Industrial Accelerator Act.
Signal: Highlights continued collaboration between Japan and Italy, alongside Japan's engagement on EU policy.
President Vladimir Putin (Russia)
Actor Two: Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei (Iran)
Venue Or Format: Moscow
What Was Discussed: Regional security and a letter from Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Signal: Indicates ongoing high-level coordination between Russia and Iran on security matters.
Joint statements + readouts
Singapore and Malaysia
Topic: Cross-border taxi scheme
Key Line: Singapore and Malaysia will increase the quota of licensed cross-border taxis under the enhanced Cross-Border Taxi Scheme from the existing 300 per country, to 500 per country.
Pakistan, Iran, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia
Topic: Regional peace and security
Key Line: The official joint statement committed the four countries — Pakistan, Iran, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia — to continuing dialogue and strengthening cooperation for regional peace and security.
Visegrád Group (Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, Hungary) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
Topic: EU enlargement, Ukraine support, energy
Key Line: The meeting produced a joint declaration framing three interlinked priorities: merit-based EU enlargement, continued support for Ukraine, and affordable, secure energy.
Multilateral pulse
UN Security Council. The Council adopted a Pakistan-led presidential statement, "The Role of Diplomacy during Active Hostilities," urging sustained diplomatic engagement even after conflicts begin to secure ceasefires and political settlements.
Ibero-American Summit. Concluding on November 5 in Madrid, the summit discussed AI and multilateral agreements, with developing nations advocating for tech equity and European partners seeking market access and standardized rules.
European Political Community (EPC). Switzerland's President Guy Parmelin announced his attendance at the ninth EPC summit in Dublin on November 12, where he will also represent Switzerland as host for the tenth summit in April 2027 in Zurich.
Bilateral threads worth following
US ↔ China
Current State: Discussions are ongoing to build confidence around AI and stability.
Last Move: The U.S. readout of a 2026 meeting noted an agreement to establish the "U.S.-China Super Intelligence (SI) Dialogue," with the next exchange expected by November 2026.
US ↔ Iran
Current State: Diplomatic efforts are intensifying amidst military preparations and regional mediation.
Last Move: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held phone calls with regional mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, UAE, Oman, and Egypt on Thursday regarding regional developments.
EU ↔ Ukraine
Current State: Efforts are underway to unify Europe's approach to peace talks.
Last Move: EU Council President Antonio Costa backed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's call for a unified EU peace talks strategy in a letter dated November 5.
What we'll be watching next 72h
- Eurogroup meeting on November 9, 2026.
- Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting on November 9, 2026.
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.