DUSHANBE, October 16, 2008, Asia-Plus — Economic forum, entitled “Investment Partnership for Strengthening of Economic Cooperation and Integration in Central Asia,” and a session of the board of managers of SPECA (The United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia) will be held in Moscow on October 20.
According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), the forum is dedicated to consider issues related to intensification of an investment partnership between Russia and Central Asia’s states.
The forum is expected to bring together businesspeople, politicians, as well as representatives of international organizations and financial institutions to exchange views on prospects of further development of transportation infrastructure, simplification of border crossing procedures, rational use of water and energy resources in Central Asia, ways of delivery of hydrocarbon raw materials to world markets, and reorganization of industrial enterprises for the purpose of establishing international competitive companies.
The forum participants will include heads of relevant ministries and organizations from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia, representatives of business community, senior officials from UN and other international organizations.
The United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was launched in 1998 to strengthen subregional cooperation in Central Asia and its integration into the world economy. The member countries of SPECA are Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) jointly provide overall support to the activities under this program.
