Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation

Technical Assistance for Regional Economic Cooperation in Central Asia (TA No. 5707-REG)

Objectives:

The TA will:

• promote regional cooperation among countries in Central Asia, focusing on activities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China (PRC)
• study the potential for projects providing for infrastructure or policy reform in three areas, namely: energy, regional payments and trade, and transport and communications.

Facilitating trade and developing the potential in resource and infrastructure complementarity would enhance growth prospects in the region and assist the governments in managing the ongoing transition to market economies.

Scope:

The approach involves two phases of activities to support regional cooperation in the Central Asia region.

• Phase I would review existing needs, institutions, and activities and identify projects and programs that would most directly encourage regional cooperation.
• Phase II would entail actual operations within specified areas as follow-up studies.

Activities under Phase I would be financed under this TA. In particular, Phase I will include sectoral studies covering the potential for institutional and policy coordination, and the potential for investment projects in a small number of infrastructure sectors. This phase will rely heavily on the extensive work that has already been previously done by ADB and by other international institutions such as the European Union and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The sectoral reviews are expected to provide

• a background analysis of each sector, utilizing existing studies, within a regional perspective
• an assessment of the needs of the sector with respect to regional cooperation and cross-border issues, particularly with respect to the needs and potential of the emerging private sector
• analysis of existing institutions and programs of bilateral and multilateral funding agencies that affect regional cooperation efforts
• identification of possible project and program activities for ADB
• recommendations for Phase II by establishing priorities for ADB activities, taking into account the development strategies of the respective countries and the relevant country operational strategy studies of ADB

Project Cost and Financing ($'000):

Status:

Project completed.

For detailed information on the project, email CARECU at CARECU@adb.org.