The Turkmen delegation headed by Minister of Economy and Finance Serdar Joraev is taking part in the international B5+1 forum, which is taking place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from March 13 to 15. This is the first ever forum for representatives of the public sector, business and experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the United States. The purpose of the event is to promote trade, investment and economic integration in Central Asia.
The forum entitled "Strengthening Regional economic Integration of Central Asia through public-private dialogue" brought together more than 200 representatives of the business community and the state apparatus, international institutions and independent experts.
The participants of the panel discussions discuss regional achievements, existing economic development programs and potential areas of partnership. Representatives of American companies share their views on investing in Central Asia in priority sectors of the economy. Local business associations are considering ways to use advocacy and dialogue between the public and private sectors to develop and access new markets both regionally and internationally.
The result of the B5+1 forum should be active work with the private sector on national and regional business agendas. The discussions will allow the business community to present its vision of an inclusive and integrated economic future for Central Asia and give governments the opportunity to assess the value of private sector recommendations to achieve the C5+1 economic goals.
At the end of the event, participants will be invited to commit to developing a meaningful common agenda to improve economic integration and enhance sustainability by increasing access to innovation, foreign investment and international trade flows.
In the New York Declaration adopted at the C5+1 presidential Summit in September 2023, it was decided to strengthen economic ties between the United States and Central Asia by creating an additional platform led by the private sector. This forum officially opens the process of dialogue between the public and private sectors in the "Business 5+1" (B5+1) format.
It is aimed at fulfilling two key commitments of the Declaration: accelerating regional cooperation and developing ties and improving the business environment to expand trade and investment from the US private sector. The platform will allow governments, businesses and the expert community to identify and implement practical measures to create an economically active and inclusive Central Asia that is connected to global markets.
On the first day, the participants were informed about the goals of the B5+1 Forum and the expected results, the views of the expert and business communities on policies aimed at improving economic integration and the investment climate, as well as the vision of the governments of the C5+1 countries to involve the private sector in achieving common economic goals.
The second day is devoted to the international perspective of ways to develop trade and investment flows in Central Asia. On Friday, March 15, the main speaker will be the American expert Dr. Frederick Starr. He will cover the topic "Central Asia and the rest of the world". The participants will review the markets and investment landscape of the region, hear the opinions of American and international chambers, investors and companies that work or seek to invest in Central Asian countries. They will share challenges and achievements from the perspective of various sectors, including transport and logistics, e-commerce, tourism, agribusiness and green energy.
The event was organized with the assistance of the Center for International Private Entrepreneurship (CIPE), a branch of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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