The CAREC Institute Participates in the CAREC Senior Officials’ Meeting in Bishkek

The CAREC Institute participated in the CAREC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), held from June 17 to 19 in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyz Republic. The meeting served as a preparatory platform for the upcoming 24th CAREC Ministerial Conference, scheduled for November 2025 in Bishkek.

The meeting brought together CAREC National Focal Points, development partners, and senior officials to review the implementation of recommendations from the CAREC 2030 Strategy Midterm Review (MTR), coordinate flagship projects, and discuss deliverables for the Ministerial Conference.

Representatives from the CAREC Institute, led by Director Charymuhammet Shallyyev, participated in the discussions. Director Shallyyev reaffirmed the Institute’s support for the Rolling Implementation Action Plan (IAP) developed from the MTR and expressed the Institute’s readiness to contribute to its implementation. The Institute highlighted its role as a strategic knowledge partner focused on evidence-based policy advice, regional dialogue, and capacity development within the framework of the IAP.

During the meeting, Director Shallyyev provided an update on the Institute’s Revitalization Plan, which addresses institutional priorities such as strategic focus, governance, talent retention, and sustainable funding. He also briefed senior officials on preparations for the upcoming CAREC (Tianshan) Development Forum, scheduled for early December 2025 in Urumqi, People’s Republic of China. Coinciding with the Institute’s 10th anniversary, the forum will be held alongside the 9th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum and aims to facilitate knowledge exchange, promote investment, assess regional connectivity, and strengthen partnerships across transport, digital, energy, financial, and people-to-people sectors.

In addition to the main meeting, CAREC Institute representatives participated in side events covering topics such as critical minerals investment, cross-border public-private partnerships, and regional tourism cooperation. Director Shallyyev also attended the 22nd Transport Sector Coordinating Committee Meeting on June 16 in Bishkek, where he provided an overview of the Institute’s ongoing and completed research activities and capacity-building initiatives, including containerization project, CAREC Corridor Performance Measurement and Monitoring (CPMM), and road safety series training programs. The Institute remains committed to supporting regional cooperation and will continue collaborating with member countries, the CAREC Secretariat, and development partners to advance shared objectives.