CAREC Countries Advance COP29 Climate and Trade Partnership
Tanbir Hossain Emon
The Roundtable on the CAREC Partnership for Climate, Innovation, and Trade (CPCIT) took place on 21 May 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, alongside the Asia-Pacific Sustainable Trade Forum. Co-chaired by Lyaziza Sabyrova of the Asian Development Bank and Elmar Mammadov of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event focused on implementing the COP29 Declaration establishing CPCIT, signed in Baku in November 2024.
Participants explored ways to develop productive capacity in CAREC countries to create innovative, exportable products supporting the green transition, leveraging the region’s potential in critical minerals. Discussions also covered expanding the trilateral green energy partnership between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, establishing Free Green Economic Zones to attract climate-focused investment, fostering innovation through collaboration among governments, researchers, and the private sector, and creating a Regional Fund of Funds to support startup development.
The Roundtable featured presentations from UNCTAD, WTO, and other stakeholders, with participation from government officials, private sector representatives, international organizations, and development partners. The CAREC Program’s 11 member countries—Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—actively contributed to shaping the partnership’s next steps.
