<img alt="" src="https://api.caspianpolicy.org/media/ckeditor_media/2026/09/11/forum-b-new-york.png" />

Marking its tenth anniversary, the Caspian Policy Center is pleased to host its annual Business Forum at the Harvard Club in New York bringing together a select group of senior government and business leaders to discuss the rapidly evolving economic, energy, and geopolitical landscape of the Trans-Caspian region. Held as the global community convenes for the United Nations General Assembly, this year&rsquo;s CPC Business Forum will focus on practical challenges, emerging opportunities, and concrete next steps for strengthening regional connectivity, investment, and commercial cooperation.

&nbsp;

As the region marks the one-year anniversary of the Joint Declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan, new opportunities are emerging to expand the Middle Corridor, including the proposed&nbsp;Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).&nbsp;These developments have the potential to further strengthen regional connectivity, facilitate trade, and accelerate investment as countries across the Trans-Caspian region and beyond deepen their commercial ties along this strategic corridor linking Asia and Europe.

&nbsp;

International business has played a vital role in promoting and facilitating cooperation as new supply chains and transportation networks seek to capitalize on the region&rsquo;s emergent Middle Corridor. Given the increased international interest and engagement in the broader region, the Caspian Policy Center is convening an evening discussion with government and business leaders engaged in the region&rsquo;s energy, financial, infrastructure, and connectivity sectors.

&nbsp;

The discussion will focus on&nbsp;practical issues and next steps: what is needed to translate the region&rsquo;s growing strategic importance into investment, infrastructure, and commercial opportunities; where remaining obstacles can be addressed; and how governments and the private sector can continue to deepen their efforts to advance the Trans-Caspian region&rsquo;s next phase of growth. 
 
 
&nbsp;

6:00 &ndash; 6:25 PM Registration and Welcome Reception&nbsp;

&nbsp;

6:25 &ndash; 6:30 PM Welcome Remarks &ndash; Efgan Nifti, CEO, Caspian Policy Center

&nbsp;

6:30 &ndash; 6:45 PM Policy Speech &ndash; Senior Representative, U.S. Department of State

&nbsp;

6:45 &ndash; 7:45 PM Panel Discussion: &ldquo;Investing in the Middle Corridor: What does the new&nbsp;

TRIPP Corridor mean for the region?

&nbsp;

The proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) can reshape connectivity between the South Caucasus and Central Asia, creating new opportunities along the broader Middle Corridor and beyond. But transforming the concept into a functioning commercial passage will require more than political agreement. Governments and businesses must address infrastructure, border procedures, customs, financing, security, and regulatory coordination, as well as integrating into the existing broader Middle Corridor.

This discussion will examine the practical challenges and opportunities along the proposed TRIPP corridor, including how the route can connect with existing transportation and trade networks, attract private investment, and strengthen east-west connectivity. Government and business leaders will consider what needs to happen next to move from political vision to commercially viable infrastructure and what role the United States and other international partners can play in supporting its development.

<ul>
	<li>Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan</li>
	<li>Lasha Darsalia, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia</li>
	<li>Erzhan Kazykhan, Representative of the President of Kazakhstan for Negotiations with the United States</li>
	<li>Berris Ekinci, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of T&uuml;rkiye</li>
	<li>Eldor Aripov, First Deputy Secretary of the Security Council, Uzbekistan</li>
	<li>Senior Ministerial Representatives from the Trans-Caspian region, including Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

7:45 &ndash; 8:00 PM Congressional Address&nbsp;

Congressman Abraham J. Hamadeh, U.S. Congressman from Arizona

&nbsp;

8:00 &ndash; 8:50 PM Panel Discussion: &ldquo;Next Generation Business Along the Middle&nbsp;

Corridor: Energy, Connectivity, and Critical Minerals&rdquo;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Trans-Caspian region is entering a new phase in which its strategic importance extends well beyond traditional oil and gas. Energy remains fundamental, but the region&#39;s future growth will increasingly depend on critical minerals, diversified supply chains and infrastructure, as well as new forms of energy production and connectivity.

This discussion will examine how governments and businesses can translate the region&#39;s growing resource and technological potential into investment and economic growth. Panelists will explore opportunities in energy and critical minerals, and the role of international investment in building the next generation of the Trans-Caspian economy. The focus will be practical: where are the most promising opportunities, what obstacles remain, and what concrete steps can governments and businesses take now?

&nbsp;

Moderator: Mark Menezes, President and CEO of U.S. Energy Association (USEA); Former U.S. Deputy Secretary for Energy&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Kimberly Harrington, Head of U.S. International Affairs, bp America&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Claire Kaiser, Head of Strategy and Senior Managing Director, Eurasia, at McLarty Associates</li>
	<li>Jamshid Ehsani, Head of Global Principal Structured Finance, Apollo Global Management</li>
	<li>Marat Birimzhan, Head of the Representative Office in the United States, Kazakh Invest</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

8:50 &ndash; 8:55 PM Closing Remarks

7th Caspian Business Forum: Connectivity, Finance, and Energy along the Middle Corridor

Check out this page to stay up to date on all upcoming events that the Caspian Policy Center is hosting. Don’t forget to RSVP and subscribe if you would like updates whenever we announce our new events.

UPCOMING

During the working hours of August 31, world leaders convened in Bishkek for the Shanghai Cooperation

Kyrgyzstan Steppes Up World Nomad Games, Takes Home Gold in Cultural Diplomacy

Since its independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has been one of the world’s leading hydrocarbon-producing countries

Kazakhstan’s Major Oil Fields – Kashagan and Tengizchevroil: Production, Export Infrastructure, and Diversification Prospects

During the working hours of August 31, world leaders convened in Bishkek

Your quick primer on the latest developments in the Caspian this week...

Headlines from the Caspian: September 15, 2026

The shooting has stopped. But the mines continue to kill. That is the unpleasant reality Azerbaijan faces

Clearing the Ground for Lasting Peace

The region’s latest major blackout on August 14 knocked out power across four of the five Central Asian states

Grid Limitations and Blackouts: Why does Central Asia Keep Losing Power?

Beyond the handshaking, the platitudes, and the boilerplate declarations

Beyond the SCO: Central Asia’s New Geography of Power

The Council of the European Union (EU) agreed on 2 September to introduce temporary

Europe - Caspian Briefing, September 8 , 2026

Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan remains vital as the two sides look to bolster trans-Caspian relations

Trans-Caspian Links: The Growing Investment Portfolio Between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan

The governor of Herat, Afghanistan, stated that its local section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India

Headlines from the Caspian: August 31, 2026

On Ukraine’s Independence Day, the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku was illuminated in the colors of the Ukrainian flag

Azerbaijan and Ukraine: A Deepening Partnership

In July, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security Service shut down two fraudulent call centers

Central Asia in the Global Scam Economy

A crowd of people stands in the shadow of a bright white church looming up out of the steppe ...

Catholics and Communists: Memory of Soviet Deportations in Polish-Kazakh Relations Today

Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Bulgaria are holding negotiations on the creation of a new overland electricity

Europe - Caspian Briefing, Aug 25, 2026

The Caspian Sea has found itself increasingly under pressure. From one side, Ukrainian strikes hammer Russian

Shipbuilding on the Caspian Sea

Headlines from the Caspian: August 24, 2026

The August 7 phone call between Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and U.S. President Donald Trump might look at first glace

The Mirziyoyev-Trump Call: A Strategic Signal for U.S. Investment in Uzbekistan

In the heart of Seoul, signs in Cyrillic letters and references to Central Asia line narrow streets

Central Asians and Mongolians in South Korea: Established Diasporas and New Migration

Azerbaijani exports to Armenia totaled $17.32 million in January–July 2026

Headlines from the Caspian: August 17, 2026

The greatest threat posed by Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa Canal might not be the amount of water

Afghanistan's Qosh Tepa Canal and the Limits of Central Asia's Water Governance

Events

Full Conferences & Forums

Europe Caspian Briefing

Energy

Panel Discussions

Economy

Security

Event Clips & Promotional Materials

Central Asia

South Caucasus

Environment

Water Security

Guest Contributions

videocasts

Analysis and Reports

Podcasts

Press Releases

Infographics

<img alt="" src="https://api.caspianpolicy.org/media/ckeditor_media/2023/03/11/tajikistan-foreign-trade-1.png" />

The Caspian Policy Center has collected data from the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan to determine total trade turnover and Tajikistan&#39;s leading trade partners in 2022.&nbsp;

The Caspian Policy Center has collected data from the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan to determine total trade turnover and Tajikistan's leading trade partners in 2022.

Programs

Publications

Listen / Watch

Central Asia and the New Critical Minerals Frontier

Central Asia

South Caucasus

Events

Trans-Caspian Forum 2027

About CPC

People

Contact & offices

Tajikistan's Foreign Trade Turnover for 2022: Infographic

7th Caspian Business Forum: Connectivity, Finance, and Energy along the Middle Corridor

Related Articles

Kyrgyzstan Steppes Up World Nomad Games, Takes Home Gold in Cultural Diplomacy

Kyrgyzstan Steppes Up World Nomad Games, Takes Home Gold in Cultural Diplomacy

Grid Limitations and Blackouts: Why does Central Asia Keep Losing Power?

Trans-Caspian Fiber Optic Cable — Unpacked

Beyond the SCO: Central Asia’s New Geography of Power

Follow

Contact Us

Get more news and analysis from CPC