Purpose of this experts' meeting:

and the , in collaboration with the Foreign Investment Advisory Service of the World Bank Group, jointly organised an informal meeting of national experts from the region to discuss future collaborative work and priorities. The meeting provided an opportunity for participants from research institutes and the international community to discuss strategies that would facilitate the integration of these countries into the world economy, focussing in particular on trade and investment inter-linkages. This is an area where both the OECD and FIAS have a proven track record in research and policy dialogue and are in a position to assist capacity building efforts in the region.

 

The objectives of this informal meeting were threefold:

i) To identify the areas for future research and policy dialogue on trade and investment interlinkages that are of particular interest to the region’s governments and non-governmental actors (e.g. business associations), and where the OECD and the FIAS can provide added value;

ii) To explore the potential for establishing a regional network of experts on these issues with whom

the OECD may collaborate in:

·          developing an analytical framework on the interplay between governance, trade, investment, and official assistance; and,

·          raising funds for related research (including case studies) and policy dialogue projects with the clear objective of strengthening capacity building in research institutes in the region;

iii) To explore the possibility of launching a one or more pilot projects and allocate responsibilities for these undertakings.

 

This one-day event was held on 16 February 2004 at the OECD Istanbul Centre for Private Sector Development and brought together a delegation from the OECD (Development Centre, Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, and Trade Directorate), the FIAS, representatives of the main regional research institutes and experts from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

 

Meeting Documents: 

Background note and draft agenda

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Presentations:

+  Key Trade and Investment Challenges for the Economies in the Caucasus and Central Asia,   Richard Pomfret, Professor of Economics Univesity of Adelaide ( +Powerpoint presentation )

+ Measures towards increasing the role of think tanks in development of regional integration in Central Asia and improvement of economic policy-advice , Mr. Sirajiddinov Nishanbay, Senior Research Coordinator, Center for Economic Research, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

+Trade and Investment Inter-linkages: Country Focus: AZERBAIJAN , Mustafa Mammadov and Rahim Huseynov, Director, Center of Economic Reforms, Ministry of Economic Development, Azerbaijan

+ OECD activities relevant to the region – Trade , Mrs. Blanka Kalinova, Trade Department, OECD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact persons:  

Mr. Federico Bonaglia, OECD Development Centre – Email: Federico.Bonaglia@oecd.org

Mr. Engin Göksu, Istanbul Centre for Private Sector Development – Email: Engin.Goksu@oecd.org