10th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum held in Uzbekistan to boost regional financial growth

The launching ceremony of the 10th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum is held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Aug. 20, 2026.

The 10th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum opened in Tashkent, Uzbekistan yesterday, drawing around 130 participants, including government officials from CAREC member countries, think tank experts, financial sector practitioners, academics and representatives of international organizations from across the region and beyond.

The opening ceremony featured remarks by Charymuhammet Shallyyev, director of the CAREC Institute; Komiljon Karimov, rector of Westminster International University in Tashkent; and Abdulla Khashimov, advisor to the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan.

Against a backdrop of limited long-term financing and underdeveloped capital markets across the region, discussions centered on mobilizing investment for infrastructure and industrial modernization and strengthening cross-border economic cooperation.

Co-organized by the CAREC Institute and Westminster International University in Tashkent, the forum received support from the Asian Development Bank, the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development, and China Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund.

This year's forum was held under the theme "Towards Robust, Innovative and Inclusive Financial Sector Development in the CAREC Region." Sessions explored long-term financing, capital market development, financial inclusion, responsible digital finance, financing diversification and cross-border financial cooperation. Participants examined structural obstacles to economic development and discussed policy approaches suited to the region's specific conditions.

At a side event, the CAREC Institute, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), and the Uzbekistan Investment Promotion Agency launched a joint research project on advancing investment promotions in renewable energy and manufacturing sectors in Uzbekistan. The initiative aims to improve the investment support system by expanding the range of investors and target sectors, enhancing investor information and support services, strengthening institutional capacity, and promoting regional cooperation. Shokhrukh Gulyamov, deputy minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, Roksana Nesor, acting director of the Investment Promotion Agency, and Khusan Khasanov, IsDB country representative in Uzbekistan, attended the launching ceremony.

The CAREC Institute also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Central Asia to further collaboration in education, research and knowledge sharing among think tanks.