Kazakhstan will take over as chair of Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program from Jan. 1, 2024 after Georgia.

Deputy Minister of National Economy and National Coordinator of the CAREC Program from Kazakhstan Abzal Abdikarimov took part in the 22nd CAREC Ministerial Conference on Nov. 30 in Tbilisi.

The event was attended by ministers and high-level officials from CAREC member states, including Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The conference participants endorsed the Regional Action on Climate Change: a Vision for CAREC to “help countries implement their commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals by promoting regional actions for energy transition, decarbonization, innovative financing solutions, and climate-resilient infrastructure and policies.”

The sides welcomed the concept of the CAREC Climate and Sustainability Project Preparatory Fund (CSPPF), which will help address the financing gaps in achieving climate change goals through preparation and readiness of bankable climate-related regional projects for CAREC countries, according to the joint ministerial statement.

Participants also reviewed the progress in implementing the CAREC 2030 Strategy across CAREC’s five clusters and addressed diversification of trade flows and transit transport routes in the CAREC region.

“Due to the geopolitical situation, the role of TMTM in ensuring transit flows between Europe, Central Asia and China has increased along the east-west route. Within the Middle Corridor, there is growth in cargo transportation through the seaports of Aktau and Kuryk, and growth in container traffic,” Abdikarimov said.

The 22nd CAREC Ministerial Conference marked 22 years of cooperation among member countries.