In his opening speech, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani thanked Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Georgia for cooperation within the Lapis-Lazur international transit corridor.

President Ghani stressed the role of Azerbaijan in the development of the North-South international transport corridor.

During the event, representatives of CAREC member-states and partner international organizations shared their views on promoting cooperation in the direction of ensuring economic stability in the countries of the region, economic development, creating new jobs, improving living conditions.

While speaking at the conference, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov said that CAREC is an inclusive cooperation platform for sustainable development of the regional economy and Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the cooperation with the CAREC region.

The minister of economy informed the conference participants about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Azerbaijani economy and the comprehensive measures taken to minimize these consequences.