Forum Speakers
& Topics
Hear from Leaders Shaping the Region
The CAMCA Regional Forum features a diverse collection of voices – convening innnovators, changemakers and experts at the highest levels from all sectors – Presidents, Prime Ministers, CEOs, Ambassadors, Chairpersons, Executive Directors, founders, entrepreneurs, investors, C-suite executives, university administrators, and more.
This year’s speaker lineup will continue to be finalized over the coming months and this page will be updated to reflect our confirmed speakers.
Speakers
Dr. S. Frederick Starr
Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, American Foreign Policy Council
Amb. Hafiz Pashayev
Rector, ADA University
Senator Sodyq Safoev
First Deputy Chairman, Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Amb. Kubanychbek Omuraliev
Secretary-General of the Organization of Turkic States
Amb. Kaha Imnadze
Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) – TBC
Amb. Philip Reeker
Partner and Practice Lead for Europe & Eurasia, DGA-Albright Stoneridge Group; Former Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia and the Secretary of State’s Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations
Amb. Irakli Alasania
Founder and CEO, Sodi Investment; Former First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Georgia
Ali Aslan
International TV Presenter & Journalist
Natig Bakhishov
Executive Director, United States-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce
Amb. Matthew Bryza
Jamestown Foundation Board Member; Managing Director at Straife LLC; Partner at Abbert Capital; former U.S. Amb. to Azerbaijan
Lucy Chow
Founder and CEO of The Elements Group
Allen Collinsworth
President and Owner of Fara Group, a U.S.-based global management consulting firm; Owner of The Times of Central Asia
Dr. Svante Cornell
Director, Research and Publications, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
Tamar Ioseliani
Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, CAMCA Network Member – (TBC)
Dr. Fariz Ismailzade
Member of the Parliament of Azerbaijan; Vice Rector, ADA University
Amb. Tedo Japaridze
Chairman, Center for Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Studies; former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia – (TBC)
Laura Linderman
Director of Programs, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
Mikheil Nibladze
Senior Strategic Advisor, Cerberus Capital Management
Dr. Mamuka Tsereteli
President, America-Georgia Business Council
Giorgi Tsikolia
Executive Vice President, Europe and the Middle East, Lineate
PREVIOUS FORUM SPEAKERS
Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Georgia; Novruz Mammadov, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan; Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia; Djoomart Otorbaev, former Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic; Enkhbold Zandaakhuu, Speaker of the Parliament of Mongolia; Davlatali Said, First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan; Edil Baisalov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic; Dorjkhand Togmid, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia; Tinatin Khidasheli, Minister of Defense of Georgia; Ruslanbek Davletov, Minister of Justice of Uzbekistan; Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Education of Azerbaijan; Jamshid Khodjaev, Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan; Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan; Nuria Kutnaeva, Minister of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic; Amrullah Saleh, former State Minister for Security Sector Reform of Afghanistan; Donald Rumsfeld, former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Carlos Gutierrez, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce; John Bolton, former U.S. National Security Advisor; Sodyq Safoev, First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Uzbekistan; Bob Zoellick, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and President of the World Bank; Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense and President of the World Bank; Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy and world-renowned Peruvian economist; Arthur Laffer, renowned U.S. economist and author; Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan; Laziz Kudratov, Deputy Minister of Investment and Trade of Uzbekistan; Kairat Kelimbetov, Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre; Hafiz Pashayev, Rector of ADA University; Sergei Guriev, Scientific Director of the Master and PhD programmes in Economics at Sciences Po; Terhi Hakala, EU Special Representative to Central Asia
Tim Gould, Chief Energy Economist at the International Energy Agency; and many more…
(*Positions listed at the time of their participation*
2026 Forum Topics
Investment, Innovation & Strategic Industries
Regional Geopolitics, Security & Cooperation
Energy, Climate & Sustainability
Human Capital & Harnessing Regional Talent
Connectivity, Trade and Economic Cooperation
Digital Transformation, AI & FinTech
Meet CAMCA Network Leaders
Among our talented lineup of speakers are many CAMCA Network members from across the region. As a co-founder and co-organizer of the Forum, the CAMCA Network is a unique platform connecting leaders across Central Asia, Mongolia, the Caucasus, and Afghanistan to drive sustainable development and regional cooperation. Inspired by the historic Silk Road’s legacy of exchange, it brings together experts from business, government, and civil society to address shared challenges and unlock new opportunities.