ASTANA – Almaty is set to host the inaugural B5+1 Business Forum dubbed Strengthening Regional Economic Integration in Central Asia through Public-Private Dialogue on March 14-15, reported the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE).
Almaty. Photo credit: iStock/Maxim Zolotukhin.
Business 5+1 (B5+1) is the public-private business dialogue platform between the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and the United States.
“Day one will outline B5+1 objectives and expected results, provide recommendations from the expert and business communities on policies to improve economic integration and the investment environment, and highlight the vision of C5+1 governments on engaging the private sector in achieving shared economic objectives. Day two will provide an international perspective on ways to promote trade and investment flows in Central Asia,” the CIPE report reads.
The B5+1 Forum is an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by the CIPE, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, under a more extensive program called Improving the Business Environment in Central Asia (IBECA).
The B5+1 serves as a private-sector-led complement to the C5+1 diplomatic platform, aiming to create opportunities for trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the Central Asian states and the United States. The B5+1’s role is to provide a dialogue platform in which the leaders and experts representing Central Asia’s private sectors can openly discuss opportunities to build business and economic connectivity with neighboring countries in Central Asia, the United States, and the rest of the world.
