The importance of leveraging regional development through enhanced investment and connectivity infrastructure was highlighted at the inaugural Tianshan Forum for Central Asia Economic Cooperation, which kicked off on Tuesday in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Themed "Unlocking Connectivity and Investment in Central Asia", the two-day event brought together around 380 participants, including academics, government officials and representatives from international organizations and the private sector.

The attendees came from member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, a partnership of 11 countries initiated by the Asian Development Bank.

Discussions at the forum addressed opportunities and challenges, the business environment and innovative investment tools to advance regional connectivity and promote investment.

During the opening ceremony, Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo'an highlighted Central Asia's growing significance on the international stage, underpinned by strengthened economic cooperation.

Lan stressed the need to expand the scope and scale of collaboration and expressed hope that the forum's organizer — the CAREC Institute — would continue to base its efforts on regional realities and contribute to further development.

Headquartered in Urumqi, the institute is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting regional economic cooperation and development through research, capacity building, knowledge sharing and partnership development.

The institute serves as a knowledge support arm of the CAREC Program.

Pakistan's Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said improved infrastructure and transport connectivity between Pakistan and China has paved the way for cooperation extending beyond trade into knowledge exchange, with a shared emphasis on youth development.

He said he had productive meetings with counterparts from China and other countries during the forum, focusing on expanding cooperation in industrial development, agricultural modernization, technology and people-to-people exchanges.

"This forum has provided a very good opportunity to exchange ideas between different countries about how they are tackling their problems and what new initiatives they are taking," he added.

Fabrizio Hochschild, former under-secretary-general of the United Nations, said the Central Asian region was historically an important trade hub between East and West, while the Belt and Road Initiative and other connectivity projects have demonstrated the region's growing importance from both trade and political perspectives.

Suriyan Vichitlekarn, executive director of the Mekong Institute, emphasized the necessity for Central Asian countries to collaborate in promoting infrastructure, energy and transport connectivity.

He pointed out that the Mekong Institute and the CAREC Institute, sharing similar roles, goals and challenges, have been deepening dialogue and working to establish cooperative mechanisms.