Despite the pandemic shock our cooperation with SPECA continues to expand. The mutual trade between SPECA countries exceeded US $ 7 billion last year that is higher than in 2020 by 31%. The statement came from Alibek Kuantyrov, Minister of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the current Chair-country of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) during his welcome statement at the opening of SPECA Economic Forum.
The trade turnover between SPECA countries for H1 of 2022 amounted for US $ 4.7 billion which is higher 33% year-on-year, he told.
The SPECA forum meets in terms of global economic uncertainties of pandemic and security shocks, that have shaped the world into new reality.
“It is essential for the countries of the regions to adjust economic agenda to extract maximum profit. Therefore, we have to consistently realize the full potential cooperation within the framework of SPECA”, stressed Kuantyrov.
The combined GDP of the regional economies is accounted for about US $ 350 billion. This is a big market with a large amount of goods, services, capital and labor force, he added.
The minister of national economy of Kazakhstan highlighted several measures that could further boost economic relations between SPECA countries.
“It is necessary to digitalize the cross-border connectivity, to launch border networks for trading and economic hubs, which can serve as a core integral part of the unified commodity distribution systems of countries with the further extension prospects”, he said.
The examples of such cross border cooperation is Central Asian International Center project , implemented with Uzbekistan, Industrial Trade Logistic facility, being constructed in Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, agreement on joint establishment of whole sale and distribution center with Tajikistan, and plans to build a grain terminal in cooperation with Turkmenistan.
Moreover, the development of Trans-Caspian transport route will be beneficial for all SPECA countries, Kuantyrov said.
He also called for expanding direct links between business communities and building up transport logistics corridors.
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The objectives of the SPECA are to facilitate economic cooperation in the SPECA region, integration of the SPECA participating countries into the world economy and to provide a platform for crossborder cooperation for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The SPECA participating countries are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) jointly provide overall support to the Programme. ///nCa, 16 November 2022