Ashgabat to Host SPECA Economic Forum and Steering Council Meeting

An Economic Forum and a meeting of the Steering Council of the United Nations Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) are scheduled to take place in Ashgabat in November–December of this year, as announced by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Hojamyrat Geldimyradov, during a regular government meeting on Friday.

According to the vice premier, these events will be organized as part of Turkmenistan’s chairmanship of the SPECA program in 2025.

Geldimyradov noted that Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Finance and Economy, together with the country’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), are actively preparing for the SPECA Days events. High-ranking representatives of SPECA member countries, UNECE leadership, as well as experts from international organizations and specialized UN agencies will participate.

SPECA is a UN special program aimed at integrating the economies of Central Asian countries into the global economy and strengthening regional cooperation. Established in 1998, the program initially included Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan later joined the initiative.