The B5+1 Business Forum has concluded in Bishkek, serving as a pivotal platform for strengthening economic cooperation between the five Central Asian nations and the United States. The event focused on developing practical solutions for regional economic integration and attracting global investment.
The TechnoWomen community played a significant role in shaping the forum’s agenda, particularly in the fields of digitalization and e-commerce, by presenting strategic initiatives for the region’s IT development.
E-commerce: A Roadmap for the Region
Developing cross-border e-commerce was a central theme of the discussions. Alua Korpebayeva, head of the Central Asian working group on e-commerce, consolidated business proposals into a comprehensive “Roadmap,” which was presented during the forum.
In high-level discussions involving the public sector, international companies, and business associations, experts explored ways to increase trade turnover within Central Asia. Ayaulym Ayaganova, an expert in the working group, proposed specific measures to simplify conditions for sellers and e-commerce participants, aiming to create new opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Digitalization and AI: A Unified Central Asian IT Hub
The forum also marked the launch of a dedicated IT working group focused on integrating the region’s digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (AI) efforts.
Key priorities include:
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Attracting BigTech: Making the region transparent and accessible for major American technology companies.
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Regulation: Improving and simplifying standards to establish a Unified Central Asian IT Hub.
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Innovation: Attracting investment into high-tech projects and AI.
Vice-Minister Dmitriy Mun presented Kazakhstan’s AI strategy and invited neighboring countries to collaborate on a joint digital agenda to boost regional competitiveness.
Forum Results in Figures
The scale of the event reflects the growing international interest in Central Asia as a unified economic space. The forum brought together more than 400 participants from business and government sectors, representing 211 companies and organizations.
The regional business delegations were represented as follows:
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Kyrgyzstan: 80 companies;
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Kazakhstan: 35 companies;
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Uzbekistan: 27 companies;
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Tajikistan: 22 companies;
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Turkmenistan: 13 companies.
Additionally, 34 American companies participated, seeking practical cooperation. The forum’s agenda covered critical sectors for regional growth, including IT, e-commerce, finance, transport, logistics, agriculture, and critical minerals.
The B5+1 Forum results confirm that Central Asia is evolving into a strong, integrated economic player ready for innovation and large-scale international partnerships.
