BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 20. Central Asian states enjoy the reputation of being one of the most promising regions for investments and are expected to attract around $170 billion in the next 10 years, Yermukhambet Konuspayev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said, Trend reports, citing Kazakh media.
The statement was made during the “Central Asia 2030: Visions of the Future” expert meeting, taking place in Astana.
According to the deputy minister, more than $70 billion is expected to be invested in non-extracting economy sectors.
Konuspayev also noted that the growth of the influence of Central Asian states led to increased interest from major powers in the region. The minister added that the number of contacts between Japan, South Korea, Germany, the US, India, China, and Russia, as well as the EU, and Central Asian states in the “Central Asia+” format increased considerably in the prior year.
“These meetings demonstrated the increased importance of the region in terms of its stabilizing role in ensuring peace, stability, and food security, common efforts to reduce conflicts, establish an inclusive dialogue, assistance in resolving the Afghan problem, and form new alternative transport corridors between Europe and Asia”, the minister concluded.
The Central Asia 2030: Visions of the Future expert meeting took place earlier today at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies. The agenda of the meeting included Central Asian countries’ cooperation in trade and economy, transport and energy, human capital development, and the prospects for cooperation in the field of cultural and humanitarian work.