On January 20, 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between ADBC and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Institute (CI) in Beijing at a ceremony witnessed by ADBC Executive Vice President Zhang Wencai and CI Director Syed Shakeel Shah. General Manager of ADBC Institute of Rural Finance and Development and CI Deputy Director 1 signed on the MOU on behalf of their respective side.

Signing of the MOU represents both parties’ intention to conduct extensive research collaboration on regional cooperation and development in agriculture, sustainable agriculture, rural infrastructure, ecological conservation and agricultural value chains. On the basis of inter-complementarity and mutual benefits, both parties will collaborate by various means, such as exchange of information, joint research, and training and capacity building, with the aim to support regional economic integration and sustainable development in Central Asia.

In his opening remarks, Zhang Wencai said ADBC had in recent years paid high attention to international cooperation and been actively involved in multilateral cooperation mechanisms. In the 14^th Five Year Plan period (2021-2025), ADBC will continue expanding international business, support trade in agricultural products and international agricultural cooperation, deepen ties with international peers and academic and research institutes, and mobilize transfer of more capital, technology and knowledge in support of agriculture, rural areas and farmers, contributing to agricultural and rural sustainable development in China and around the world. Cooperation between the two parties is conducive to sharing of knowledge, expertise and technology, and to boosting economic prosperity in Central Asia.  

Syed Shakeel Shah said CI provides research and capacity building services to member states of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program by raising fund, and supplying technology, human capital and knowledge product. Collaboration with ADBC enables CI to combine ADBC’s expertise in supporting agriculture with CI’s expert team to provide knowledge products in service of rural finance and the broader agricultural sector of Central Asia, while laying ground for further cooperation between the parties in the future.

Located in Urumqi, CI is an intergovernmental organization contributing to regional economic integration in the CAREC Region through knowledge services. The CAREC Region comprises 11 countries. With a vision of “Good Neighbors, Good Partners, and Good Prospects”, CI is a proactive facilitator of implementing results-based projects and policy initiatives critical to sustainable economic growth and shared prosperity in the region.