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Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Economy Oleg Pankratov speaks at the "Building knowledge corridors along the Silk Road" forum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, July 17, 2018. The two-day forum kicked off here Tuesday to bring universities, think tanks, governments and business communities together to discuss key policy issues in the region. The forum is being hosted by the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC). (Xinhua/Roman)

BISHKEK, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A two-day forum, "Building knowledge corridors along the Silk Road", kicked off here Tuesday to bring universities, think tanks, governments and business communities together to discuss key policy issues in the region.

The forum is being hosted by the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC).

The CAREC program, initiated by the Asian Development Bank in 1997 to encourage regional cooperation, includes Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

Sanjaasuren Bayaraa, director of the CAREC Institute set up in Urumqi, China, to enhance CAREC programs through knowledge generation and capacity building, said CAREC should coordinate and collaborate with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for win-win results for all sides involved.

Like the BRI, the CAREC economic corridors also include infrastructure, energy and agriculture projects, he told Xinhua.

The director said it would be a win-win situation if BRI and CAREC work in collaboration.