The assessment covered the likely effect of these changes on the "Afghan Corridor" connecting Central Asia and South Asia, and placed the Energy Charter Treaty in this context as an indispensable instrument for transit security, investment protection and dispute settlement. The Charter's Special Envoy Mr. Mehmet Ögütçü also chaired a session on expanding trade to the region where again the value of the Energy Charter Treaty was brought to the fore.

South Asia encompasses one-fifth of the global population, and energy trade can be an influential tool for economic integration. Three most important projects in this field are the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline (IP), the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline (TAPI) and Central Asia South Asia (CASA)-1000. These projects will benefit Central Asian republics by providing them with new markets. Despite many differences, Pakistan and Afghanistan are moving towards joint management of common rivers starting with the proposed construction of a 1500MW hydropower project on the Kunar River.