The 18th CAREC Ministerial Conference, organized by the Asian Development Bank and the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade, is taking place in Tashkent.

CAREC aims to promote the economic development of Central Asian countries through the expansion of regional and multilateral cooperation in four priority areas, including transportation infrastructure, customs cooperation, trade policy and energy.

The conference is being attended by ministers and representatives from China, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, as well as officials from the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, the World Customs Organization and others.

The event is chaired by the Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan Sardor Umrzakov.