Countries and Regions

	Table of Contents
p. 6 of 22 BACK | NEXT I. Summary II. Background and Rationale A. The Need for Economic Cooperation in Central Asia B. The Soviet Legacy in Infrastructure—A Connecting Thread throughout the Region C. Present Day Borders Cross Economic Zones D. Regional Responses to Regional Needs III. The ADB Initiative Towards Economic Cooperation in Central Asia IV. Sector Priorities and the Proposed Program 2001-2003 V. Addressing Poverty and Governance and other Cross-Cutting Concerns VI. Issues and Challenges

Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation : II. Background and Rationale

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D. Regional Responses to Regional Needs

16. Independence, the collapse of the Soviet-trade system, and the need to resolve regional issues, have led the CARs to experiment with various institutional forms of economic cooperation. The establishment of the Interstate Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the Central Asian Bank for Cooperation and Development by the same three countries, are two notable examples. In addition, there have been negotiations concerning the trade in oil, electricity, and gas; water rights; and for cooperation concerning reconstruction of the environmental problems in the Aral Sea area. These activities reveal an underlying commitment to economic cooperation, an understanding and appreciation by the respective Governments that common solutions must be found to regional problems.

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