A regional convening fostering an exchange of ideas on key issues throughout the Greater Central Asia region
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C. — The 2018 CAMCA Regional Forum will be held on June 21st-23rd in Baku, Azerbaijan, hosted by the CAMCA Network, the Rumsfeld Foundation and the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, in partnership with local partner, ADA University.
The 5th annual CAMCA Regional Forum will focus around the theme of “Emerging Regionalism,” featuring panels and discussions on the CAMCA region’s ongoing reforms and intraregional activities; the region’s unique geopolitical location, energy opportunities and security challenges; trade and transport infrastructure projects; as well as the region’s place in global affairs, education initiatives, entrepreneurship opportunities and human capital development.
Attendees and panelists at the Forum represent a diverse group of prominent influencers, leaders and professionals from the CAMCA region and beyond. Featured speakers include Kairat Kelimbetov, Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre, Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the founding rector of ADA University, Ambassador Sodiq Safoev, Senate Deputy Chairman and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Dr. S. Frederick Starr, Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Ambassador Paul Wolfowitz, AEI Scholar and former President of the World Bank, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense and Dean of Johns Hopkins University-SAIS. In total, the Forum will feature more than 70 speakers and panelists and welcome over 250 participants representing more than 20 countries.
The CAMCA (Central Asia-Mongolia-Caucasus-Afghanistan) Regional Forum is a non-political and non-partisan Forum established to promote region-wide discussions on means of advancing economic growth and social development in Greater Central Asia (Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). It promotes this goal by fostering dialogue and interaction among rising young leaders from all sectors in the 10 countries of the region, as well as with international leaders and stakeholders. The Forum organizers believe that expanded communication and collaboration among talented professionals from a range of fields can significantly contribute to economic, political and social development on both a national and regional basis.
The CAMCA Regional Forum has evolved out of the Rumsfeld Foundation's Central Asia-Caucasus Fellowship Program at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute which has been bringing talented leaders from the region to Washington, D.C. since 2008. As of June 2018, over 196 professionals have completed the Fellowship.
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Media Contacts:
Sarah C. Tonucci
Executive Director, Rumsfeld Foundation
Email: s.tonucci@dhrllc.net
David Soumbadze
Fellowship Program Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
Email: soumbadze@afpc.org
Fidan Huseynli
CAMCA Network Representative
Email: fidan160@gmail.com