Bishkek, 4 November 2026 – The 2026 Economic Forum of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), convened in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, on 4–5 November under the theme “Advancing Connectivity for Sustainable Development in the SPECA Region”, brought together high-level representatives of participating States, international and regional organizations, and development partners.
The Forum addressed key regional priorities, including transport connectivity and logistics, trade facilitation and digitalization, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development, women’s entrepreneurship and financing sustainable infrastructure.
Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliev outlined Kyrgyzstan’s priorities as the 2026 SPECA Chair, emphasizing practical regional economic cooperation. He also announced Kyrgyzstan’s contribution of USD 1 million to the SPECA Multi-Partner Trust Fund. United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana welcomed the contribution as a demonstration of the country’s commitment to the Programme and confidence in its future.
CICA Deputy Secretary General (DSG) Mr. Farid Damirli delivered remarks during Session I, “High-Level Policy Dialogue: Building a Connected SPECA Region”, which focused on the strategic role of connectivity in strengthening economic resilience, regional integration and sustainable development.
In his statement, Mr. Damirli briefed participants on the outcomes of the 7th CICA Summit, convened in Baku on 15 October 2026. He highlighted the close alignment between SPECA’s priorities and the Azerbaijani Chairmanship’s theme, “Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalization, and Sustainable Growth in Asia”. He emphasized that reliable transport corridors, efficient logistics, effective border procedures and digital solutions are essential for landlocked economies to improve access to international markets.
Highlighting CICA’s practical initiatives, Mr. Damirli referred to the first-ever Conference of Heads of Ports of CICA Member States, convened in Baku on 9–10 September 2026, which advanced exchanges on port operations, digitalization, multimodal connectivity and green logistics.
He also highlighted the CICA Conference on Digitalization of Transport Corridors, which promoted exchanges on digital solutions for more efficient regional transport, and the inaugural meeting of the CICA Finance Summit, which opened opportunities for dialogue on investment, development financing and financial technologies. He further noted the contribution of the CICA Business Council and Business Forum to promoting SME competitiveness, women’s entrepreneurship, digitalization and the green transition.
Mr. Damirli further underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation between CICA and the United Nations, as well as other international and regional platforms. He noted that closer engagement with SPECA, ESCAP and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, through policy dialogue, exchange of best practices and coordination, could contribute to advancing shared priorities in connectivity and sustainable development.
CICA’s participation in the Forum highlighted the complementarity of the two platforms’ economic agendas and the potential for practical cooperation linking the SPECA region with wider efforts to strengthen sustainable connectivity across Asia.
Read the full statement by Mr. Farid Damirli, CICA Deputy Secretary General of the CICA.
