The Trans-Caspian Trade and Transit Corridor is a regional integrator, trade facilitator and viable transit connector between Europe and Asia. Comprising of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to the west, and Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to the east of the Caspian Sea, this corridor brings together more than 200 million strong market and 400 billion in overall trade while connecting economies of the European Union and China along with access to Russia, Iran, Pakistan and India. Connecting trade, people and economies, the modern trans-Caspian corridor has matured to strategic importance with extensive and integrated network of infrastructure, special economic zones, harmonized customs, cross-border procedures and more along this route.
4th Trans-Caspian Forum Preliminary Agenda
08:30 – 09:00 am – Registration and breakfast
09:00 – 09:10 am – Opening Remarks
- Gary Litman, Vice President for Global Initiatives, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Efgan Nifti, Executive Director, Caspian Policy Center
09:10 – 09:35 am – Ambassadorial Remarks
- Introductions by: Ambassador (ret.) Richard E. Hoagland
- H.E. Roya Rahmani, Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States
- H.E. Elin Suleymanov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the United States
- H.E. David Bakradze, Ambassador of Georgia to the United States
- H.E. Erzhan Kazykhanov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States
- H.E. Serdar Kılıç, Ambassador of Turkey to the United States
- H.E. Javlon Vakhabov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the United States
- H.E. Farhod Salim, Ambassador of Tajikistan to the United States
09:35 – 09:55 am – Keynote Statement – High-Level Official from the U.S. Government
- Introduction by: Ambassador (ret.) Richard E. Hoagland
- Manisha Singh, Acting Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment, U.S. Department of State
Session A: U.S.-Caspian Emerging Partnership
09:55 – 11:15 am – Panel
- Moderator: Ambassador (ret.) Richard E. Hoagland, Board of Directors Member, Caspian Policy Center
- Keynote Remarks: Lisa Curtis, Senior Director for Central and South Asia, National Security Council, White House
- Hasan Soroosh, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan
- Sahin Ismayilov, Director of Department of International Relations, Ministry of Transport and High Technologies, Azerbaijan
- Giorgi Chikovani, CEO of Energy Fund, Georgia
- Samat Gilimov, Chairman of the Transportation Committee, Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development, Kazakhstan
- Alisher Kurmanov, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senate of the Oliy Majlis, Uzbekistan
11:15 – 11:30 am – Coffee Break
Session B: Linking Trans-Caspian via Infrastructure Development
11:30 – 11:40 am – Keynote Remarks: Werner Gruber, Executive Director: EDS24, World Bank
11:40 – 11:50 am – Keynote Remarks: M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President, TOBB
11:50 – 01:10 pm – Panel – Linking Trans-Caspian via Infrastructure Development
- Moderator: Rear Admiral (ret.) Ronald J. MacLaren, Board of Directors Member, Caspian Policy Center
- Keynote Remarks: Marlena Hurley, Managing Director, Political Risk Insurance and Reinsurance, OPIC
- Farhad Guliyev, Deputy Chairman, Caspian Shipping, Azerbaijan
- Maftun Abbasov, Deputy General Director, Baku International Trade and Sea Port
- Ahmad Ismayilov, Deputy Chairman, State Maritime Agency, Azerbaijan
- Aleksi Aleksishvili, CEO of Policy Management Consulting Group, Georgia
- Abai Turikpengbaev, President of National Company, Aktau International Sea Trade Port
01:10 – 01:55 pm – Lunch
Session C: Trans Caspian as a Global Hub for Energy Supply, Security, and Sustainability
02:20 – 03:30 pm – Panel
- Moderator: Gary Litman, Vice President for Global Initiatives, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Keynote Remarks: Sandra Oudkirk, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State
- Ambassador (ret.) Robert F. Cekuta, Board of Directors Member, Caspian Policy Center
- H.E. Robert Scher, Head of International Affairs, BP America
- Giorgi Chikovani, CEO of Energy Fund, Georgia
- Marat Ormanov, General Director, KazMorTransFlot National Maritime Shipping Company
03:30 – 03:45 pm – Coffee Break
Session D: Intra-Regional Cross Border Commerce, Trade, and Investment
03:45 – 03:55 pm – Keynote Remarks: Ian Steff, performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary for Global Markets and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing
03:55 – 05:15 pm – Panel
- Moderator: Ambassador (ret.) Robert F. Cekuta, Board of Directors Member, Caspian Policy Center
- Hasan Soroosh, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan
- Natavan Mammadova, Executive Director, American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan
- Viktor Kipiani, Executive Partner, Mgaloblishvili Kipiani Dzidziguri (MKD), Georgia
- Yerlan Absatov, General Director of Transport Union of Kazakhstan, Kazlogistics
- Aidar Orzhanov, Commercial Director, KazMorTransFlo
05:15 – 05:25 pm – Closing Remarks
Testimonials
Since their founding as independent states over 25 years ago, the United States has played a significant role to protect and preserve the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the eight countries of the Caspian Sea region. It also played a key role in first-generation policies and projects to develop connectivity throughout the Caspian region, especially by championing the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor; but much more is now possible. The time is ripe once again for the United States to play a stronger role to enhance connectivity and cooperation in the region. I am pleased that the Trans-Caspian Forum is bringing together government officials, thinkers, and business leaders to identify new opportunities and define concrete recommendations for next steps the United States can take to enhance its own role and to strengthen the countries in the region.
The Trans-Caspian Forum serves as a prime platform that will emphasize the central role of Azerbaijan in facilitating trade, transit and connectivity in the region and the country’s potential to offer a business-friendly environment for overseas investments and trade.
The economic future of Eurasia depends to a great degree on the capacity of policy makers in the region to envisage a shared future. This can only be done successfully in a dialogue with business, which is why the Chamber is delighted to bring stake-holders together, and jointly push for dynamic growth in the diverse region defined and united by the Caspian and Black Seas.
After a quarter of a century of independence, the states of the South Caucasus and Central Asia increasingly are eager to develop corridors, connectivity, and cooperation among themselves to link their infrastructures, their economies, and their peoples that will further enhance their own independence. With other major players on the global stage like Russia and China showing a keen interest, the strategic opportunities for the United States have grown significantly in recent years, presenting both challenges and new opportunities. With this Trans-Caspian Forum, we are pleased to present a venue to bring together business leaders, foreign-policy experts, and government officials from the United States and the countries of the region to explore new directions and identify new opportunities.
The Trans-Caspian Forum has become an important platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges in the broader region extending from Europe to Asia with Turkey at its center. I strongly believe that the 3rd Trans-Caspian Forum will help us enhance the connectivity and cooperation among the peoples and countries of the region and the U.S.
I am happy to announce the Third Tran-Caspian Annual Forum. Georgia is bringing the region closer to the U.S. to discuss the ties in trade, commerce, energy, security, and innovations.
Trans-Caspian Forum 2018
