13th CAREC Ministerial Conference

Ministers of the 10 CAREC member countries–Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan–expressed support for the Almaty-Bishkek Corridor Initiative.

The initiative–the first example of city-level cooperation in the CAREC region–will help coordinate urban development planning between Almaty and Bishkek, and will generate detailed studies to identify infrastructure requirements, policies, and market opportunities to better integrate their economies.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the two cities to pilot an economic corridor.

The meeting, which carried the theme Linking Connectivity with Economic Transformation in CAREC, also addressed the physical establishment of the CAREC Institute in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, PRC.

The ministerial meeting was opened by Kyrgyz Republic Prime Minister Djoomart Otorbaev. ADB President Takehiko Nakao, in his keynote address, lauded the CAREC Program’s achievements.

The meeting was co-chaired by Kyrgyz Republic Minister of Economy Temir Sariev and ADB Vice President Wencai Zhang.

Since 2001, CAREC has mobilized more than $24.6 billion in investments for transport, trade facilitation, and energy projects.