Business integration of Central Asian countries discussed in Ashgabat
The event, organized by the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, is attended by national CAREC coordinators and representatives of partner organizations - ADB, EBRD, IsDB, IMF and UNDP.
The results of the work on the CAREC trade agenda until 2030 and the preparations for the 17th Ministerial Conference to be held in Ashgabat in November have been presented for discussion.
The main objective of the program is to assist the countries of Central Asia in the implementation of investment projects in the field of transport, trade and energy. The issues included in the integrated trade program, in particular the three-years’ action plan for its implementation during 2018-2020, which will be presented at the next CAREC ministerial conference, have been discussed in the course of the plenary sessions.
The particular emphasis has been placed on the fact that the provision of support to member countries in their accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and fulfillment of commitments after the accession, implementation of the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), enhancement of customs cooperation, the integrated facilitation of trade procedures and identification of new opportunities in the context of shifting of the main global and regional trade concepts will be continued in order to develop trade, the message says.
The strategic location of Turkmenistan, which borders with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iran, as well as its proximity to Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation (via the Caspian Sea) puts the country in an advantageous position for expanding interregional relations between the countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus, South Asia and the Middle East, the state news agency Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary wrote in its comments.