DUSHANBE, July 1, 2013, Asia-Plus – Senior officials from the 10 member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program met in Almaty, Kazakhstan on June 27-28 to review the implementation of the program aimed to develop regional transport networks, boost regional trade, and secure an efficient, reliable energy supply.

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM), the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) reviewed the progress in each of CAREC’s four priority sectors of transport, trade facilitation, trade policy, and energy, and discussed how to further deepen the cooperation for continued growth and sustainable development.

Today, the number of projects approved and implemented by CAREC member countries and multilateral institution partners has grown to 136, with a cumulative value of over 21 billion USD.

The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program is a partnership of 10 countries (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, People''s Republic of China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), supported by 6 multilateral institutions, working together to promote development through cooperation, leading to accelerated growth and poverty reduction.

CAREC helps Central Asia and its neighbors realize their significant potential by promoting regional cooperation in four priority areas: transport; trade facilitation; energy, and trade policy.