Senior government officials and representatives from Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and the private sector shared insights on meeting growing demand for resilient cross-border connectivity in Central Asia at a hybrid seminar cohosted by the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It was held as part of the AIIB Annual Meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on 26 September.
VIEW THE SEMINAR VIDEO RECORDING (STARTS 3:48)
In keynote remarks, H.E. Dr. Sulton Rahimzoda, Chairman of Tajikistan’s State Committee on Investments and State Property Management and AIIB Governor, explained how Central Asia’s growing importance as a source of hydropower and other renewable energy amid climate change is providing new impetus for cooperation to strengthen cross-border connectivity infrastructure.
“We must unite to transform limitations into opportunities to strengthen road, railways, and ports critical for cross-border trade in the region,” Chairman Rahimzoda said.
“MCDF and its partners are seeking to play a catalytic role in making Central Asia land-linked rather than land-locked,” added MCDF CEO Zhongjing Wang, in opening remarks. He pointed to MCDF’s joint work with AIIB and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) on a Central Asian Connectivity Study to identify entry points for cross-border connectivity investment and facilitate coordination aimed at highlighting potential priority projects.
CEO Wang also highlighted MCDF support for high-quality connectivity infrastructure financing and development through project preparation, capacity building, and information sharing that is aligned with IFI standards. This includes a debt sustainability training workshop that he announced will take place in Urumqi, China in November and be cohosted by MCDF and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute.
A high-level panel went on to discuss experiences and lessons learned for designing, implementing, and financing connectivity infrastructure projects. H.E. Mr. Ruslan Tatikov, Deputy Finance Minister of Kyrgyzstan, noted the boost that IFI collaboration has provided to the country’s water resource management projects and broader green energy trade outlook.
Mr. Konstantin Limitovskiy, AIIB Vice President for Investment Clients Region 2 and Project and Corporate Finance, Global, emphasized AIIB’s commitment to supporting resilient connectivity growth in Central Asia by investing in transportation, green energy generation and transmission, logistic hubs, and digital infrastructure to enhance cross-border and regional connectivity.
“Central Asia is rapidly emerging as a vital land-bridge between Europe and Asia, underscoring the need for resilient connectivity infrastructure,” said Vice President Limitovskiy. “Strengthening cross-border energy cooperation and modernizing grid systems will be crucial for the region's long-term sustainability,” he continued.
Dr. May Ali Babiker, Cooperation and Capacity Development Director at IsDB, said there is growing momentum for regional economic integration and connectivity in Central Asia but that harmonization of associated efforts and further digital development are critical. It is prompting greater technical assistance and risk mitigation to encourage private investment, she added.
There are a lot of opportunities for renewable energy in the region and bringing together scattered ideas and best practices in areas such as regulatory reform can help to capitalize on them, maintained Dr. Jon Zaidi, Uzbekistan Country Head at ACWA Power. “Across the world, we already have templates. We have seen the challenges,” he concluded.
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