Trans-Caspian Forum to be held in Washington
3rd Trans-Caspian Forum, which will be hosted on 17-18 May by Washington, will bring together policy and business leaders from the USA and the Trans-Caspian corridor countries. The event is co-organized by the Caspian Policy Center, US Chamber of Commerce and the Embassies of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The agenda provides for discussion of opportunities and challenges in enhancing strategic role and business, trade and investment opportunities available along the corridor. The Trans-Caspian Forum will become a leading platform to discuss the US involvement with the Trans-Caspian corridor including investments and development of strategic infrastructure.
The forum program also includes discussions, which will be held in the premises of the US Congress in partnership with the Central Asia and Caucasus Institute, the US Chamber of Commerce. The George Washington University will also host academic discussions to stimulate intellectual exchange.
The Trans-Caspian East-West Trade and Transit Corridor is a viable transport and trade integrator and connector between Europe and Asia. Comprising of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to the west, and Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to the east of the Caspian Sea, this corridor links more than 200 million strong market and US $400 billion in overall trade. Moreover, the corridor connects economies of the European Union and China along with access to Russia, Iran, Pakistan and India.
USA supports the development of this corridor through joint initiatives, aimed at expanding regional connectivity through such projects as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Southern Gas Corridor, Lapis-Lazuli transport route and “C5+1” format.
Caspian Policy Center (CPC) is an independent, nonprofit research think tank based in Washington D.C and opened in 2016. Economic, political, energy and security issues of the Caspian region constitute the central research focus of the Center.
