US cooperation aid in Central Asia

The 13th Usaid-sponsored trade forum with the five countries of the region was held in Almaty. Agreements were signed for 10.8 million dollars of credit for companies in strategic sectors, such as IT and green energy, which will provide work for over 8,000 citizens, with particular attention to women, young people, and the most marginalised groups.

Almaty (AsiaNews) - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has organised the 13th Central Asian Business Forum in Almaty these days, under the theme "Trade Integration: Building Bridges Globally".

The US Embassy in Kazakhstan described the initiative as 'a major trade event that helps the development of cooperation, entrepreneurship and economic policy in the region'. In previous years, the Forum has been attended by over 10,000 representatives of state and business structures from 25 countries of Central and South Asia, Europe, and the US, concluding contracts worth over USD 32 million.

The Almaty Forum was dedicated to opening up new internal and external perspectives for the economies of the countries involved, with sessions on digitising the customs system, transport and logistics, respecting local trade agreements, and focusing on World Trade Organisation standards. Usaid Regional Mission Director Luis Rivera noted that the success of the Forum is ensured by the constant presence of politicians, leading entrepreneurs, and experts in the various sectors involved.

Special events have been organised to attract even more stakeholders to the Forum's programme, with a large exhibition of all kinds of items with 40 companies from all five Central Asian countries, in the fields of agriculture, textile and tailoring production and other areas. Added to this was another Pakistani-Kazakhstan exhibition to demonstrate Pakistan's trade potential and possible international agreements involving it.

There was also the regional meeting of the national committees for the simplification of trade procedures between the Central Asian countries, with the participation of the administrative bodies of the countries concerned, responsible for border controls, and also many representatives of the private sector. Route maps were reviewed, taking into account the many border negotiations in these areas, in order to optimise the different relations in these areas.

The meeting followed on from last October's meeting in Samarkand between the ministries in the 5+1 format, with the participation of USAID administrator Samantha Power, when agreements of various kinds were signed, starting with the activation of green energy and the reduction of carbon dioxide derivatives, and moving on to new technologies and increasing their effectiveness.

Another topic was the simplification of trade procedures, with the modernisation of border exchanges, expanding the use of common and automated protocols, while respecting the rules of individual states.

Investment in the private sector will be stimulated, and USAID has agreed to grant USD 10.8 million to start up 100 small, medium and large enterprises. These will primarily be start-ups entrusted to representatives of marginalised social groups and active in crucial sectors, such as IT and green energy, which will employ more than 8,000 citizens of the Central Asian countries, with a focus on women, young people, and the less-valued groups of the population, projecting them into the jobs of the 21st century.

1.5 million will be allocated to a new programme to improve the quality of information on the internet and in the press, to raise awareness of disinformation and the fight against it. All programmes emphasise business transparency in Asian countries, providing all the innovative techniques possessed by American companies, for greater integration between East and West.