He said that the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program, or CAREC, facilitated by the Asian Development Bank and led by the countries of the region, is an important part of the New Silk Road vision.

He added that the CAREC includes Afghanistan and Pakistan and envisions a transformation of the region through transport corridors and energy infrastructure to drive economic growth.

“By 2020, the CAREC Program will have mobilized $20 billion to improve six corridors that traverse Central Asia,” Robert Blake stated.

He added that three of the CAREC corridors link the economic hubs of Europe and the Russian Federation with East Asia, while the other three link East Asia, Europe, and the Russian Federation with South Asia and the Middle East.

The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation, or CAREC, Program is a partnership of 10 countries, supported by 6 multilateral institutions, working together to promote development through cooperation, leading to accelerated growth and poverty reduction.

CAREC helps Central Asia and its neighbors realize their significant potential by promoting regional cooperation in four priority areas: Transport, Trade Facilitation, Energy and Trade Policy.

The 10 participating countries in CAREC are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, People's Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Multilateral partners of CAREC are Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), International Monetary Fund (IMF), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), United Nations Development Programme and World Bank.