On October 14, the official launch of the Central Asia for Digitalization Initiative (C4CA) took place in Astana, bringing together high-ranking officials from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. The event also welcomed consortium representatives from Lithuania, France, Finland, and Latvia. Latvia was represented by Anita Krūmiņa, Director of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency (CFCA), Dace Rutka, Latvia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan, and Viesturs Bērziņš, CFCA’s lead expert and head of C4CA’s second component.
The event opened with remarks by Aleška Simkić, the European Union Ambassador to Kazakhstan, who emphasized the initiative’s critical role in strengthening EU–Central Asia relations and advancing the region’s digital development. Following this, Andriy Mitskan, head of the Expertise France project team—the lead implementing agency—presented the initiative’s objectives and highlighted the progress achieved so far.
Latvia is actively involved in two components of the project, leading one of them. CFCA, Latvia’s development cooperation agency and the only European Commission-accredited agency in the country, heads the second component. This accreditation enables CFCA to work directly with European Commission funding. The second component is implemented in partnership with Riga Technical University (RTU), Finland’s HAUS, and Lithuania’s CPMA. Its goal is to ensure more accessible and inclusive connectivity across Central Asia, with a particular focus on rural areas and underserved communities.
Latvia also contributes to the third component, led by Expertise France. Here, Latvia is represented by the Latvian IT Cluster, which collaborates closely with Expertise France to build an innovation ecosystem in Central Asia. This effort promotes knowledge exchange with leading Latvian and European companies, including those working on satellite technology solutions.
Participation in C4CA offers Latvian businesses and public institutions the opportunity to strengthen ties with Central Asia, open new markets, and contribute to Latvia’s economic growth while reinforcing the country’s global presence.
The C4CA initiative is funded by the European Union under its Global Gateway strategy.