DUSHANBE, October 26, 2010, Asia-Plus — The rehabilitation of a major highway link from Dushanbe to the Kyrgyz Republic border in the northeast has entered its final phase, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Tajikistan Resident Mission.
Work on this section of the 340-kilometer road corridor is set for completion in 2013, yet is already halving the journey time along one of Central Asia’s most significant trade routes, a key corridor that connects Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic with the People”s Republic of China and beyond.
The rehabilitation of the road between Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic is a hallmark of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program, which is helping Central Asian countries move toward a larger vision of a truly integrated and globally connected Asia, seamlessly interlinked and working in common purpose.
CAREC provides the finance and ideas—notably in the areas of energy, trade, and transportation—leading to accelerated economic growth and closer cooperation among countries in the region.
Tajikistan will be among eight member countries represented at CAREC’s 9th Ministerial Conference, to be hosted by the government of Afghanistan later this month on the island of Cebu in the Philippines.
As it prepares for the 10th year of ministerial collaboration, the regional grouping can boast more than $13 billion in CAREC-associated investments that have contributed to sustainable economic growth and improved living standards across Central Asia.
“Through deeds rather than words, CAREC is proving to be the master key that unlocks Central Asia’s vast economic potential,” said Juan Miranda, Director General for the Central and West Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). “The presence of Tajikistan in Cebu underscores the value this country places on CAREC, and in turn, the value CAREC places on Tajikistan.”
Tajikistan has received $474 million for CAREC-related projects since 2001. A further $122 million is slated to expand and modernize Tajikistan’s electricity transmission system, which will help it increase energy trading with neighboring countries.
CAREC was founded in 1997 as a partnership of eight countries – Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the People”s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – and six multilateral institutions—ADB, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Monetary Fund, Islamic Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and World Bank—with a mandate to help the region realize its economic potential and connect with neighboring and international markets. ADB has served as CAREC’s Secretariat since 2000.
High on the agenda for ministers attending the conference from October 31 to November 2 will be the endorsement of Pakistan and Turkmenistan as the group’s newest members, bringing an extra dimension of southern access for the countries of Central Asia.
In addition, a Ministerial Retreat will be held for the first time where discussions will focus on developing a vision to expand CAREC’s partnership and cooperation for the second decade of ministerial collaboration.
