Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 19–20 June 2025, Ulaanbaatar became a strategic platform for dialogue among leaders from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Mongolia, and Afghanistan.

The capital of Mongolia hosted the CAMCA Regional Forum—one of the few events capable of bringing together such a diverse array of countries and societies within a unified space for dialogue.

The forum gathered over 300 participants, including more than 75 international speakers and over 150 representatives from business, government, academia, and investment institutions.

Staying traditionally outside the realm of political agendas, the CAMCA Forum focused on key regional challenges and future opportunities. Over two days, participants engaged in discussions on economic reforms, digital transformation, sustainable development, infrastructure integration, and access to global markets.

This year’s overarching theme, “A Vision for the Region’s Future: Business, Society, and Governance in CAMCA,” aimed to shape a shared outlook on what the region’s future could look like through mutual understanding and cooperation.

Particular emphasis was placed on several pressing areas. A plenary session on investment and sustainable development featured speakers from Templeton Global Investments, the Mongolian Stock Exchange, and the Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia. In a discussion on green finance, experts from the IFC, EBRD, and Mongolia’s Nature Legacy Foundation presented mechanisms to enhance climate resilience in the region.

Other major topics included the geopolitical implications of artificial intelligence, the institutionalization of regional cooperation, and the development of fintech and innovation. Sessions featuring representatives from Alif, Qazaqstan Venture Group, the Mongolian Fintech Association, and Accelerate Prosperity helped define a path forward for the region’s digital economy. The final panel focused on critical minerals, with contributions from experts at the World Bank, AIFC, and Columbia University.

Humanitarian issues also received attention—topics such as brain drain, the role of universities, and independent media in strengthening regional ties were actively discussed. Panels on tourism and transport explored opportunities for logistics integration, the development of tourism clusters, and digital tools to simplify movement between countries.

The forum brought together distinguished experts, public figures, and private sector representatives. Among them were Deputy Chairwoman of the Mongolian Parliament Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar, Deputy Prime Minister Dorjkhankh Togmid, U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Richard Buangan, Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative Chimguundari Nawan-Yunden, Director General of TIDAM Aynura Umayeva, Professor Brianne Todd, former U.S. National Security Council adviser, and energy researcher Jonathan Elkind from Columbia University.

The forum was organized by the CAMCA Network, the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, and the Rumsfeld Foundation. With the support of partners and sponsors including Xsolla, ARD, Nippon Koei, and ID&E, the forum attained a level of scale and authority that allows it to remain a significant platform for regional dialogue.

CAMCA Forum 2025 demonstrated that the desire for coordination and a shared future is becoming a key unifying factor for the region. Despite their differences, forum participants—from state leaders to young scholars—engaged on equal footing, exchanging experiences, ideas, and strategies.

As it concluded, the forum left behind not only a rich program and a set of agreed approaches, but also the momentum for new initiatives that will strengthen cooperation, sustainability, and prosperity across the CAMCA region.