ASTANA – The second international B5+1 (Central Asia + the United States) business forum opened in Bishkek on Feb. 4, bringing together government officials and business leaders to strengthen practical cooperation in trade, investment, and technology across priority sectors.
Photo credit: gov.kz
Discussions focus on economic cooperation in finance and banking, critical minerals, agriculture, transport and logistics, tourism, e-commerce, information technology, and the development of practical recommendations to improve the business environment.
U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Ambassador Sergio Gor highlighted Central Asia’s strategic importance for the United States, noting Washington’s interest in expanding economic and technological cooperation in the region through the B5+1 platform, reported Kazinform.
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Construction, Yersaiyn Nagaspayev, said the forum reflects Central Asia’s growing visibility on the global economic map and serves as a practical mechanism for attracting investment, technological modernization, and concrete business outcomes.
He noted expanding trade links, developing logistics routes, and a growing perception of Central Asia as an integrated regional market. He also emphasized that many U.S. companies already use Kazakhstan as a base for regional projects.
Daniyar Amangeldiev, first deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, described the region as unified and investment-ready, adding that the B5+1 format helps implement the outcomes of the 2025 Central Asia-U.S. Leaders’ Summit through concrete projects.
From the private sector, Eurasia Group AG COO Sergei Glocke pointed to a $2.5 billion John Deere agricultural machinery assembly project in Kazakhstan, implemented with Agromash Holding KZ, as an example of practical U.S.-Central Asia cooperation with growing export potential.
The two-day forum is expected to result in updated agreements between governments and businesses to improve the regional investment climate. The first B5+1 forum was held in Almaty in March 2024.
