Central Asian countries can attract up to US$170 billion in investments in next 10 years

Central Asia is currently one of the most attractive regions for investors. According to international experts, the countries of the region could attract up to US$170 billion in the next decade. The oil industry remains the most attractive for investment, analysts say. About US$80 billion are expected to be invested in this sector, and slightly less will be allocated for the implementation of projects in non-oil sectors. Participants of an expert meeting in Astana discussed the prospects for the Central Asian region until 2030. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, trade among the countries of the region has grown by half over the past five years. A number of important logistics projects are currently being developed in order to increase trade and economic cooperation. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of joint ventures. Experts note that Kazakhstan has made a special contribution to expanding relations between Central Asian states.

“There are many issues between the countries that need to be addressed, such as the development of transport routes, the shortage of drinking water, and climate change. An important task for us is to determine the measures we need to implement jointly in order to address these problems effectively. Therefore we’re having this meeting,” said Aidar Kurmashev, Head of the Department of International and Geoeconomic Research of Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under Kazakh President.

“Kazakhstan is considered to be attractive for investors of Central Asian countries in terms of its potential and location. In order to become and remain the center of attraction for all states of the region, it is essential to have resources. I would like to emphasize that most of these resources are concentrated in Kazakhstan in political and economic terms. Therefore, Tajikistan always expresses interest in establishing close friendly relations with the country,” added Khayriddin Usmonzoda, Director of the Center for Strategic Research under President of Tajikistan.