The 9th meeting of the Federation of Carrier and Forwarder Associations of CAREC Participating States was held in Ashgabat

On September 4, 2018, the 9th annual meeting of the Federation of Carrier and Forwarder Associations (FCFA) of the countries participating in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program took place in Ashgabat.

Delegations of sectoral ministries and specialized departments of the People’s Republic of China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, as well as representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Customs Organization (WCO), the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), large logistics companies and enterprises, experts and observers attended the meeting.

The agenda included reports on the work done for the year, on further cooperation for the effective implementation of the Program's objectives, on improving cooperation with the Customs Cooperation Committee (CCC), partnership on professionalization of skills in the CAREC countries. The participants of the meeting got acquainted with the progress and initiatives implemented in the fields of logistics, the facilitation of CFCFA for the development of trade, trade policy and energy, and the optimization of customs procedures.

Thanks to the constructive policy of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the formation of transport corridors of Turkmenistan and the whole of Central Asia plays a huge role in the context of achieving the goals of the revival of the Great Silk Road. The meeting participants noted that using its advantageous geographical position and ensuring optimal transit for entering the world markets will become a defining feature of the future development not only of Turkmenistan, but of the whole region.

In this context, the urgency of the constructive proposals of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov concerning the enhancement of international cooperation in the transport and communications sector, which were voiced from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly, was underscored. As noted, the demand for these initiatives is confirmed by the time itself, because the transport sector is one of the key segments of the world economy and an integral factor of global sustainable development, directly affecting the stability and balance of world economic relations.

Within the framework of the 9th regional meeting of the CAREC Program member countries, meetings of the FCFA Executive Council and working groups were held.