News and Events

The Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) on Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation held on 26-27 March reviewed sector updates and strategies, proposals to establish a CAREC Institute, 'second tier' activities, capacity building initiatives, possible new participants, and the way forward. Johannes Linn (Brookings Institution) gave a keynote speech. Xianbin Yao, Deputy Director General, ADB Central and West Asia Department, delivered the opening remarks.

Read the Summary of Proceedings [ PDF: 398kb | 39 pages ] .

Participants at the SOM will:

• report on sector updates and strategies for CAREC’s priority areas of transport, trade, and energy
• discuss the establishment of the CAREC Institute and implementation of capacity building initiatives including
  
  
  • formulating a CAREC capacity development program
  • initiating a small research grants program and network of research institutes
  • developing a policy briefs series
  • conducting outreach activities
  
  
• consider possible second tier activities and
• discuss key messages and arrangements for the 6th Ministerial Conference.

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• Participation is by invitation only
• Attending the SOM are senior level officials from the governments of participating countries in the CAREC Program, namely, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, People's Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan will also participate.
• Representatives of the CAREC Working Group (ADB, EBRD, IMF, ISDB, UNDP, and World Bank) will also participate.

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• Fifth Ministerial Conference on Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation, 18-20 October 2006, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China