Oriented on making people closer

On June 19–20, the 6th Regional CAMCA Forum took place in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbatar, bringing together over 300 participants from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Mongolia, and Afghanistan. The event served as a key international platform for strategic dialogue on sustainable development, investment, and digital transformation in the region. The forum was supported by the CAMCA Network, the Central Asia–Caucasus Institute, the Rumsfeld Foundation, and sponsors including Xsolla, ARD, Nippon Koei, and ID&E.

Over the course of two days, representatives from governments, the private sector, academia, and international organizations participated in sessions and roundtables focused on infrastructure, trade corridors, investment, green finance, geopolitics, artificial intelligence, fintech, education, and critical minerals. The central theme of the forum was "A Vision for the Region’s Future: Business, Society, and Governance in CAMCA."

Key highlights included a plenary session on regional investment strategy featuring Templeton Global Investments and the Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia; a panel on climate resilience with participants from the IFC, EBRD, and the Nature Heritage Fund of Mongolia; and a discussion on AI geopolitics featuring experts from the Stimson Center, AI Academy Asia, and Yale University. Additional topics covered included regional institutionalization, fintech development, brain drain, logistics, and tourism.

The forum featured several high-level speakers, including Deputy Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar, Deputy Prime Minister Dorjkhand Togmid, U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Richard Buangan, and representatives from Mongolia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Other notable speakers included TIDAM Agency head Aynura Umaeva and Columbia University Professor Jonathan Elkind, among others.

CAMCA Forum 2025 reaffirmed its role as a significant regional platform for building partnerships, sharing expertise, and advancing sustainable initiatives amid global challenges.

ORIENT

Photo: CAMCA