TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 24. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and ministers of the five Central Asian countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on digitalization of customs procedures between the countries of the region and USAID and reducing carbon emissions, Trend reports.
The signing ceremony was held within the framework of the first ministerial meeting on regional cooperation in the C5+1 format in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand.
During the meeting, panel sessions were held devoted to the development of common positions on the development of the digital and green economies and the improvement of the investment environment, as well as the development of labor resources and the improvement of food security in Central Asia.
The meeting participants noted the importance of continuing work on the implementation of the agreements reached during the summit of the heads of US and Central Asian countries in September 2023 in New York.
The C5+1 format was created in September 2015 for the enhancement of cooperation between the US and Central Asian countries.
Since 2015, the C5+1 format has been the US government's primary diplomatic platform for engagement with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Some other programs by USAID in Central Asia include a $19 million, 5-year program aimed at improving trade connectivity in the region, implemented in February 2022.
The aim of the project is to expand economic opportunities in the region through adjusting customs and border control procedures, strengthen interaction between the private and public sectors in investment and trade, and enhance cross-border cooperation between businesses in the region.
