Regional Cooperation

Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation

Good Neighbors, Good Partners, Good Prospects

The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program is a partnership of 10 countries and
6 multilateral institutions working to promote development through cooperation, leading to accelerated economic growth and poverty reduction. By promoting and facilitating regional cooperation in the priority areas of transport, trade facilitation, trade policy, and energy, CAREC helps Central Asian and neighboring countries realize their immense potential in an increasingly integrated Eurasia.

Through partnerships with multilateral institutions and other international agencies, the Program is a proactive facilitator of practical, results-based regional projects and policy initiatives critical to trade expansion and sustainable development. Since 2001, the Program has mobilized more than $17 billion worth of investments in the transport, trade, and energy sectors.

Participating Countries

The 10 participating countries in CAREC are:

Multilateral Partners

CAREC’s 6 multilateral partners are:

Greater Mekong Subregion

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) comprises Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

In 1992, with ADB's assistance, the six countries entered into a program of subregional economic cooperation, designed to enhance economic relations among the countries.

The GMS Program, with support from ADB and other donors, helps the implementation of high priority subregional projects in transport, energy, telecommunications, environment, human resource development, tourism, trade, private sector investment, and agriculture.

Substantial progress has been achieved in terms of implementing GMS projects since 1992. Priority infrastructure projects worth around US$10 billion have either been completed or are being implemented. Among these are the upgrading of the Phnom Penh (Cambodia)-Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam) highway and the East-West Economic Corridor that will eventually extend from the Andaman Sea to Da Nang.