The first B5+1 Forum was held in Almaty on March 14-15, 2024.
The spirit of cooperation in Central Asia is at an unprecedented high level, said renowned American scientist Dr. Frederick Starr in an interview with the Astana Times newspaper. Starr, founding chairman of the Institute of Central Asia and the Caucasus and the Silk Road Research Program, shared his vision of the dynamics of the region, the importance of regional cooperation and the future of Central Asia, determined and led by the countries of the region.
Starr was on a brief visit to Kazakhstan to participate in the B5+1 Forum in Almaty on March 13-15, which is led by the business community and is similar to the C5+1 diplomatic platform established in 2015 to expand dialogue between Central Asia and the United States.
The forum brought together more than 250 business leaders, investors, politicians, and experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Central Asia. The platform, an important outcome of the C5+1 presidential summit in New York in September 2023, brought together five Central Asian states - Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - with their counterparts in the United States.
Starr praised Kazakhstan's reform efforts, calling them "important and timely."
"Kazakhstan has done a remarkable job of strengthening its position in the region and the world. To move forward, it must join forces with its neighbors and become part of an active and organized Central Asia," said Starr, who has long advocated strengthening the regional organization.
Starr also spoke about the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, a route designed to more effectively connect Central Asia to global markets. While acknowledging that the corridor is "not yet a reality," he emphasized its potential importance.
"Just building a route doesn't mean you've won; it's a three-dimensional job where you have to take care of everything from insurance to storage facilities. All those things have to be good. If they are, then this Central Corridor will be good," he said.
Looking ahead, Starr is optimistic about the potential for expanded cooperation both within Central Asia and with neighboring regions. He sees a future in which Central Asia could trade in many directions, increasing its strategic importance and economic prosperity.
Source: The Astana Times