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CAREC In-country Workshop on Comprehensive Action Plan

Opening Remarks
Makoto Ojiro
Country Director
Tajikistan Resident Mission
Asian Development Bank

5 May 2008
Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Mr. Buriev, participants of the meeting, good afternoon to you all and thank you for coming here today. My name is Makoto Ojiro, and I am ADB's Country Director for Tajikistan.

We have gathered today on a CAREC in-country consultation workshop to discuss the Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP). All of you are well aware about the CAREC Program. Tajikistan is an active and very important member of this program. In 2007, Tajikistan was chair of the CAREC Program, and it has made significant progress. You may recall that we had a successful CAREC 6th Ministerial Conference here in Dushanbe last November.

For those of you who were at that Conference may recall that Ministers expect us to report to them on the progress of this Comprehensive Action Plan at the next Ministerial Conference planned for November 2008. Your input to the report is important and I very much appreciate your contributions to it.

The CAP was adopted by Ministers during the CAREC Ministerial Conference in Urumqi in November 2006, so it is timely that we prepare a report on progress during the past two years. By carefully monitoring and analyzing progress towards greater regional cooperation and integration among CAREC countries, we will be able to more effectively correct areas where progress has been slow or deficient, and build on success in areas where progress has been excellent. Further, the report will enable us to introduce for consideration possible new areas for regional cooperation, reflecting new developments, needs and opportunities.

We are holding workshops in each CAREC country, in a manner similar to those held two years ago in helping to design the CAP. Our two person facilitating team, Ms. Natasha Davis, Regional Cooperation Specialist and Dr. David Husband, CAREC Senior Advisor, with the help of other relevant staff, are assisting in organizing the workshop and in preparing the progress report. At the next SOM, in September, we will review the draft report – which will be the compilation of your views and those of your counterparts in other CAREC countries.

In preparation for this workshop, a letter, proposed agenda and background note was sent to the National Focal Point outlining the purpose, points for discussion and expected results of our discussions. Copies of this material should be in your folders.

Very briefly, let me highlight the four main points for discussion:

• First, we want your frank views on progress to date in implementing the CAP under the four action pillars: (i) capacity building, (ii) regional infrastructure networks, (iii) trade, investment, and business development, and (iv) regional public goods.
• Second, we want your Government's suggestions on possible modifications to the CAP to reflect new developments, opportunities and needs of the region; in this connection, too, we would appreciate your regional cooperation priorities for the next three years.
• Third, we want your views on the degree to which regional cooperation initiatives are integrated with your Government's national plan and public investment program; the progress report to Ministers should include recommendations on how to more effectively mainstream regional economic cooperation.
• Fourth, we want your views and suggestions concerning performance indicators; a limited number of simple, operational performance or progress indicators would provide a powerful means for helping to accelerate regional economic cooperation.

The Background Note in your folder poses a series of questions in regards to these subjects to facilitate discussion.

Thank you for your attention, and I wish you all successful discussions this afternoon.