BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. Better logistics, lower trade and regulatory barriers, digitalization and harmonized standards are essential to strengthening economic ties between the Caucasus and Central Asia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Koba Gvenetadze, IMF Resident Representative in Uzbekistan, said.
He made the remark at the IMF media roundtable on the November 2026 Regional Economic Outlook for the Caucasus and Central Asia.
He noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pays considerable attention to trade, regional integration and economic relations between countries.
Gvenetadze said the IMF had recently published a paper on cooperation between the Caucasus and Central Asia and GCC countries, reflecting growing interest among Gulf states in the economies of the two regions.
"What we found is that, to strengthen economic links between these economies, countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia need better logistics and governance, as well as lower trade and regulatory barriers," he said.
According to the IMF representative, stronger trade facilitation is also essential. This includes streamlined procedures, greater digitalization, harmonized standards and closer cooperation among border agencies.
Gvenetadze noted that these factors could help strengthen economic ties not only between the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Gulf, but also between other regions.
