Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 15
By Huseyn Hasanov– Trend:
The Consulate of Turkmenistan, together with representatives of Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iran, held a briefing in Russia’s Astrakhan city on the first Caspian Economic Forum to be held August 12 in Turkmenistan’s Avaza tourist zone, Trend reports with reference to the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.
The event was attended by employees of the ministries of the Astrakhan region: international and foreign economic relations, industry, transport and natural resources, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Astrakhan Fund for the Support of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
The forum aims to intensify multidimensional interaction in the Caspian Sea basin and the creation of a new geo-economic space that unites Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea and Baltic regions, the Middle East, South and South-East Asia. At the briefing, focus was made on the significant economic, transport and logistics, innovation and recreational, as well as tourist potential of Turkmenistan, which creates wide opportunities for effective cooperation for the sustainable development of the region, the report said.
In turn, the diplomats and trade representatives of Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iran made presentations on the economic, transport and logistics potential of their countries in the context of the priorities of interaction among the Caspian states.
The Forum Organizing Committee’s website states that the agenda includes creation of conditions for major projects, discussion on the role of the economy of the Caspian region in a global context, investment attractiveness in oil and gas, electricity, transport, trade, agro-industrial, tourism and other industries of the Caspian littoral states of mutual interest. The event will feature discussion of the prospects of joint investment projects and programs.
In anticipation of the forum, a meeting of ministers of the competent authorities of the parties responsible for the implementation of agreements between the governments of the Caspian states on trade and economic cooperation and cooperation in the field of transport will be convened.
In parallel, the draft Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Business Council of the Caspian states will be discussed. In addition to the delegations of the Caspian states, representatives of interested states close to the Caspian region, leaders and representatives of international economic, financial, transport, environmental and other organizations are invited to the forum.
The forum consists of three parts - an international conference, an exhibition of innovative technologies and a legal part (the signing of contracts, agreements).