First CAREC Ministerial Conference

On 25–26 March 2002, the First Ministerial Conference on CAREC was convened at the ADB Headquarters in Manila, Philippines. High-level government delegations from the People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan participated in the conference.

Country delegates attending as observers included Azerbaijan, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. The conference was also attended by multilateral and bilateral development partners.

The conference sought to provide guidance in prioritizing regional investment needs and in effectively mobilizing resources to finance them. It also provided a unique opportunity for concerned countries and donor agencies to discuss areas for better coordination as well as to explore new prospects for cooperation in the context of the reconstruction of Afghanistan.