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Central Asian countries look for ways out of the recession
High-level government officials from Central Asian and neighbouring countries, international organizations and financial institutions have pledged to cooperate in developing the best strategies for an early regional recovery from the global economic crisis.
Heyzer at ESCAP meeting
The announcement was made at a UN-sponsored forum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by representatives from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Noeleen Heyzer, Chief of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP, noted there are enormous opportunities to promote intra-regional trade and investment in the region.
The region is facing multi-faceted problems, including the geographical disadvantage of being landlocked, with small domestic markets.
Participants at the meeting discussed how their problems were aggravated by the combined water, energy and food crises.
They also discussed how knowledge and innovation could contribute to successful economic recovery and, in the longer term, reduce the vulnerability of Central Asian economies to fluctuations in energy and commodity prices.
Charles Appel, United Nations
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