Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 11
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend: The 8th United States-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council Meeting starts in Ashgabat on Monday and will last until November 14, U.S. embassy press release said.
According to the information, the forum will be attended by senior government officials from the United States, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
This is the second consecutive year that the TIFA Council - a key vehicle for trade and investment discussions between the United States and the countries of the region - has met in Central Asia.
During plenary sessions, the Parties will discuss the overall trade and investment environment in Central Asia and the United States, focusing on a number of areas, including: energy trade, investment, World Trade Organization (WTO) membership, customs, and procurement, as well as trade, transit, and investment between Central Asia and Afghanistan.
"TIFA working groups on customs, energy trade, and women's economic empowerment will convene to discuss progress made and plan specific action items for the next year," the press realise said.
TIFA bilateral working groups will also meet to confer on a number of bilateral trade and investment issues, and discuss how to increase trade and investment flows during the 2013-2014 time period.