CAREC Institute Joins CAREC NFP Strategic Planning Meeting

National focal points (NFPs) and senior officials from CAREC member countries, along with senior management and sector experts from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and key stakeholders of the CAREC Program concluded a three-day strategic planning meeting at ADB headquarters in Manila from March 5 to 7 2025. The meeting, themed “Toward a Green and Digital CAREC,” aimed to advance regional cooperation. The CAREC Institute (CI) delegation, including Director Mr. Charymuhammet Shallyyev, Deputy Director Two Dr. Kuat Akizhanov, and Chief of Human Resources and Financial Management Division Mr. Josh Hu, attended the event.

The meeting explored ways to enhance CAREC’s impact, strengthen partnerships, increase stakeholder engagement, and address regional project design and implementation challenges. It included focused sessions, presentations, open discussions, and fireside chats on the CAREC 2030 Midterm Review, climate action and regional public goods, and strategies to improve CAREC’s impact on transport, economic corridors, trade facilitation, energy, and digital connectivity.

A pivotal session moderated by Dr. Kuat Akizhanov discussed strategies to strengthen engagement with the private sector and expand non-sovereign operations. It also aimed to enhance the CAREC Institute’s role as a key knowledge partner in regional development. During the panel discussion, CI Director Mr. Charymuhammet Shallyyev briefed the Institute’s role in policy-relevant research and capacity-building, aligning with member states’ priorities. He noted the Institute’s strategic revitalization plan, with the core themes of trade, climate, and digitalization. CI is also launching flagship initiatives such as the High-level Development Forum, Annual Development Report, and Leadership Training Program to increase its impact. Besides these, CI will reform its internal human resources and financial management policies and approaches to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

In the high-level talks, ADB Vice President Mr. Yang Yingming reaffirmed CI’s innovative approach to regional integration, particularly its efforts to enhance visibility through strategic knowledge-sharing platforms.

The Institute’s delegation also held positive discussions with CAREC NFPs, including Mr. Sanzhar Bolotov, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and CAREC NFP for the Kyrgyz Republic, and Mr. Miran Mohiyuddin Soomro, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and CAREC NFP for Pakistan. Besides these, the delegation held a productive side meeting with the CAREC Secretariat to discuss the implementation of the Revitalization Plan and prepare for the 2024 CAREC Development Forum.

The meeting emphasized the need for collaboration between multiple stakeholders. A key result was the strengthened recognition of CI’s role in driving evidence-based solutions to speed up green transitions and digital modernization in CAREC member countries.