DUSHANBE, June 16, Asia-Plus — Issues related to state and further expansion of trade and economic relations between the United States and Central Asia’s states will be a focus of the third two-day meeting of the Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) that will be held from June 17-18, Asia-Plus has learned at press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT).
Deputy head of the United States Representative Office for Europe and Middle East, Mr. Marc Mouri, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Mr. George Krol, and the US Ambassador to Tajikistan, Ms. Tracey Ann Jacobson, will attend the meeting.
The meeting participants also include Afghan Trade and Industries Minister Muhammad Amin Farhang, Turkmen Economic Development and Trade Minister Qurbanmurad Gurbanmuradov, the first Uzbek Deputy Foreign Economic relations, Investment and Trade Minister Nasreddin Nazhimov, and the Kyrgyz Deputy Industries and Trade Minister Almaz Kosunov, press release by a MoEDT said. Representatives of Kazakhstan are also expected to attend the meeting.
Tajikistan’s Economic Development and Trade Minister Ghulomjon Bobozoda and State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management Chairman Farrukh Hamraliyev will deliver statements at the meeting, press release said.
The goals for this meeting are to discuss issues related to investment climate in Central Asia’s states,, regional liberalization of trade, creation of regional power market, etc.
The meeting is organized by the US Embassy in Dushanbe.
The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) is a flexible structure that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) employs to build stronger commercial relations with other countries; the framework is particular to the member countries creating a mechanism for discussion on mutual issues related to trade, investment, development, regional cooperation, economics, and regulatory frameworks. The Central Asia TIFA, which includes the frequent participation of Afghanistan, is unique because it is the only regional as opposed to bilateral TIFA. The TIFA is a major component of the U.S. agenda to promote trade, investment, and development in the region; it is flexible enough to allow discussion and action on any pertinent issue.
