Starting on October 4th at 13:00 Ashgabat time, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will host the 11th annual Central Asia Trade Forum online, themed, “Post-COVID Recovery Through Better Connectivity”. The virtual Forum will conclude on October 08, 2021.
The U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan Deputy Chief of Mission, Judy Kuo, will open the Forum, celebrating 30 years of cooperation between the United States and Central Asia. Among the over 80 illustrious speakers are Torsten Brezina, Cluster Coordinator of the GIZ Regional Programmes in Central Asia, Vicky Koo, Director of Viziolg Asia Limited, Hong Kong, Adjunct Professor at the Macao Science and Technology University, Marina Kuznechevskaya, F.C.I.L.T, Chairperson WiLAT Central Asia, Tatiana Proskuryakova, Regional Director for Central Asia World Bank, Barbara Oliveira Ramos, ITC’s Chief of Research and Strategies for Exports, Tatiana Rey-Bellet, Director, IRU, Sanzhar Taizhan, Founder – Warwick Hyperloop & Boring, Founder and CEO of TaiSan Motors, Forbes 30 under 30 Kazakhstan among others.
The Forum will be held on Zoom in English and Russian languages with simultaneous translations available in both languages. The Forum will also be live-streamed on YouTube. To register for the Forum and receive a meeting invitation, visit: https://catradeforum.org/ and fill out the e-registration.
The Forum’s ten sessions and two roundtables are mentioned below:
Day 1, October 4, 2021; 13:00-13:30 GMT+05:00 Turkmenistan Standard Time Opening Session
13:30-15:00: Session 1: Post-COVID trends in trade
15:00-16:30: Roundtable on the post-COVID business support ecosystem in Central Asia
A side ISO training Changing mindset in management system: 2021 ISO standards and practices for sustainable business development
Day 2, October 5, 2021; 09:00-10:30 GMT+05:00 Turkmenistan Standard Time
09:00-10:30: Session 2: Reviving Tourism amid COVID-19
14:00-15:30: Session 3: Trade and transit in Central Asia countries; existing challenges and possible digital solutions
16:00-17:30: Roundtable to discuss challenges of international road transport development: Barriers to replenishment of the rolling stock fleet
Day 3, October 6, 2021; 09:00-10:30 GMT+05:00 Turkmenistan Standard Time
09:00-10:30: Session 4: Sustainable Water for Central Asia
11:00-12:30: Session 5: Electricity trade and renewable energy investment opportunities in Central Asia
14:00-15:30: Session 6: A digital future – the transport and logistics dimension
Day 4, October 7, 2021; 09:00-10:30 GMT+05:00 Turkmenistan Standard Time
09:00-10:30: Session 7: Trans-Asian connectivity
14:00-16:00: Session 8: E-commerce and last mile delivery
Day 5, October 8, 2021; 09:00-10:30 GMT+05:00 Turkmenistan Standard Time
09:00-10:30: Session 9: Sustainable trade: Development of the competitive horticulture sector
14:00-15:30: Session 10: Women and youth in the post-COVID era
15:30-16:00: Closing session
Over the past decade, through the Central Asia Trade Forum, USAID has advocated for greater regional cooperation and collaboration to stimulate and accelerate sustainable economic growth in the region. It has brought together more than 10,000 participants from more than 30 countries to identify ongoing challenges limiting trade and prosperity, to exchange ideas and solutions, to build relationships, and to conduct business. Through the 11th annual Central Asia Trade Forum, USAID will link business and industry leaders, government officials and policy makers, and subject matter experts across the region and beyond in discussing recovery and resilience in the region.
This Forum also coincides with 30 years of cooperation between the United States and the five Central Asian republics. Over that period, the United States has provided over $9 billion in direct assistance to support peace and security, democratic reform, economic growth, and humanitarian needs. Through bilateral relationships and regional strategies for cooperation and collaboration, these efforts have helped regional economies become more competitive, spurred diversified economic growth, and enhanced prosperity across the region.
USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results.
For more information, visit the USAID Central Asia website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USAIDCentralAsia.
