Mr. Kouqing Li Meets AIIB President to Advance Institutional Cooperation

On 29 January 2026, Mr. Kouqing Li, Deputy Director One of the CAREC Institute (CI), led a visit to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing, and met with AIIB President Madam Jiayi Zou.

Against the backdrop that both institutions celebrated their 10th anniversaries in 2025, the two sides reflected on a decade of progress and underscored the strong potential for further deepening their partnership in support of sustainable development across CAREC member countries.

President Zou shared AIIB’s key strategic initiatives and priorities for the coming years, highlighting the Bank’s continued commitment to infrastructure financing, regional connectivity, and green and inclusive growth. She also emphasized the strategic importance of the CAREC region to AIIB’s operations.

Deputy Director Li congratulated Madam Zou on her formal appoinment as President of AIIB and briefed her on CI’s new strategic priorities and flagship initiatives, including the Tianshan Forum for Central Asia Economic Cooperation, flagship research programs, and leadership training program.

To further institutionalize cooperation, both sides agreed to develop a Memorandum of Cooperation, accompanied by a concrete action plan. This framework will serve as a guideline for future collaboration in joint research, capacity building, knowledge sharing, and the organization of relevant events, with the aim of delivering tangible development outcomes for CAREC countries.