Director of ISET Dr. Tamar Sulukhia, accompanied by Dr. Phatima Mamardashvili (APRC) and Dr. Yaroslava Babych (MPRC), took part in the 4th CAREC Think Tanks Development Forum – entitled “Trading for Shared Prosperity” – in Xi’an, Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of China. During the forum, Dr. Mamardashvili and Dr. Babych presented the preliminary results of ongoing research focused on trade flows and value chain linkages between the countries in the CAREC region.

CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program) is a partnership of eleven countries situated along the historic Silk Road trade corridor. Georgia, as the westmost point of the route, is one of the key pieces in the chain linking China, Central Asia, and Europe. The preliminary findings presented by ISET-PI researchers indicated that there remains significant untapped potential for cooperation in trade and value chain participation among the countries in the region. The research in this area is seen as one of the first steps towards the comprehensive mapping and analysis of such opportunities. The event in Xi’an was held August 27-28.