The 9th CICA Business Forum Was Held in Astana: Main Results

The 9th CICA Business Forum organized by the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken” and the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan took place in Astana on November 20. The event brought together members of the CICA Business Council and business representatives from the member states, providing an opportunity to present investment projects, discuss key areas of cooperation, and strengthen business ties. In total, the business forum was attended by about 100 companies, as well as guests from South Korea, China, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Bangladesh, India, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Türkiye. The event was moderated by Aidar Kazybayev, Member of the Public Board of Directors of Samruk Kazyna JSC.

Plenary session: Challenges and prospects

In the course of the forum, key speakers outlined the main objectives of the event. Thus, Jalalzai Ziaurahman, President of Green State Power Technical Services and Energy Consultancy Company, in his speech emphasized the importance of cross-border trade and e-commerce development for Afghanistan and the entire region.

“Afghanistan, which is undergoing transformation, faces many challenges in cross-border trade and e-commerce. Logistics, underdeveloped digital infrastructure, and limited payment options are significant barriers to overcome. However, despite these obstacles, Afghanistan offers incredible opportunities that we as business leaders and investors cannot miss,” the speaker said.

He also spoke about GSP's plans to build infrastructures to support investment and trade in Afghanistan.

“We have developed an Invest Platform that connects investors to a variety of projects in Afghanistan. It simplifies the decision-making process and helps attract investments in key sectors such as energy, transportation, road and dam construction, and health,” Jalalzai Ziaurahman informed.

Addressing the forum participants, Kulparshin Aidarkhanova, Chairperson of the Regional Council of Business Women of Atameken NCE, emphasized the achievements of women's entrepreneurship and existing challenges in her speech.

“We see a significant increase in the number of women entrepreneurs, but face barriers in access to financing and training. Systemic support is needed, including the opening of training centers and secondary banks in the districts, as well as the development of legislation protecting the interests of women entrepreneurs,” Aidarkhanova said.

Aidarkhanova also presented the results of the Council of Women Entrepreneurs in Aktobe Region, noting successes in implementing business projects and training women in rural areas.

Marat Sadykov, Managing Director of KTZ Express JSC, spoke about Kazakhstan's role as a transit hub at the intersection of international corridors.

“We are actively developing the Trans-Caspian route, which allows us to reduce the time of delivery of cargo from China to Europe more than twice. Joint projects with partners from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey are already demonstrating significant results, and digitalization of processes makes transport services more accessible and efficient,” said Marat Sadykov.

B2B and G2B sessions: New opportunities for cooperation

The forum became an effective platform for business meetings. The participants presented their projects and discussed the prospects for their implementation. Among the key topics were the development of transportation infrastructure, implementation of digital solutions in business, and attraction of investments in key sectors of the economy.

Bonnie Zhu, a representative of the Chinese logistics company Neptune Logistics, noted the importance of partnership for the development of international routes.

“We see the huge potential of the Trans-Caspian route and are actively working on its development. Our experience in providing multimodal logistics services and cooperation with large companies such as Xiaomi and BYD emphasizes the importance of joint efforts”, - emphasized the representative of the Chinese logistics company.

Results and plans for the future

The 9th CICA Business Forum concluded with several agreements. Among them are training programs, the development of joint investment initiatives, and the introduction of new formats of interaction between business and government.

The organizers stressed the importance of such events for the development of cooperation between CICA member countries and strengthening the region's position in the global economy. The Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan expressed its readiness to continue supporting such initiatives, contributing to the strengthening of international business ties.

The event left positive feedback from the participants, who noted the high level of organization and the effectiveness of the forum as a platform for discussion and implementation of key projects.