Deepening Integration in Border Regions within CAREC : The Asiaregio
The central endeavor of Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) is the deepening of cooperation between its members across the entire range of development activities. Recent papers prepared by the World Bank for consideration of the mini...
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| Format: | Policy Note |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2014
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2009/05/11102900/deepening-integration-border-regions-within-carec-asiaregio http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18608 |
| Summary: | The central endeavor of Central Asia
Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) is the deepening of
cooperation between its members across the entire range of
development activities. Recent papers prepared by the World
Bank for consideration of the ministers and officials of
CAREC countries have focused on fostering cooperation in
border trade and in supporting key institutions that
underpin border trade such as bazaars in central Asia. But
cooperation in border areas goes much deeper than trade
alone. Economic development activities related to trade such
as tourism, retail, business and trade facilitation as well
as cooperation in public services (such as shared health
facilities, other infrastructure services such as
small-scale irrigation), optimal use of the environment,
cultural and sports activities often have a significant
cross-border character. Therefore, cross-border arrangements
that support such activities and realize economies of scale
in the provision of services can yield high dividends; and
the key public policy question is how to best make such
arrangements flourish. This paper presents initial thinking
on this question, responding to the request made by CAREC
representatives. It is based on discussions with officials
in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 2008-09 and on
an examination of legal acts pertaining to cross-border cooperation. |
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