Basic Documents

• Basic Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for Development of the Europe-the Caucasus-Asia Corridor and Protocol on Amendments to the Basic Agreement.

The Basic Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for Development of the Europe-the Caucasus-Asia Corridor signed on 8 September 1998, in Baku, Azerbaijan (MLA) is the key TRACECA document establishing the legal basis for the development of economic relations, trade and transport communication in the regions of Europe, the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Asia. State Parties to the MLA are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Currently the MLA came into effect for all the TRACECA countries.

The MLA is open for accession by any state, subject to the consent of all the MLA Parties to such accession. Regional Economic Integration Organizations may accede to the MLA as associate members.

The MLA was signed for 10 years and in 2018 pursuant to Article 16 of the MLA its validity was extended for the following five years. 

In accordance with Article 11 of the MLA, the MLA Parties adopted 4 Protocols on amendments to the MLA. Pursuant to the MLA, the Protocol on amendments to the MLA comes into effect according to the similar procedure - after 30 days upon submission to the Depositary – MFA of Azerbaijan of the fourth notification on the implementation by the MLA Parties of corresponding domestic procedures compliant with their national legislations.

• On 9 October 2003, in Yerevan, Armenia there was adopted the Protocol on amendments to the “Basic Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for Development of the Europe-the Caucasus-Asia Corridor”.
  
  

The Protocol came into effect on 23 November 2011 with respect to the MLA Parties which signed and ratified it - Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Tajikistan.

The Protocol was signed but not yet ratified by Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. The Protocol is not signed by Iran.

The protocol is open for accession by the MLA TRACECA Parties.

On 13 December 2007, in Astana, Kazakhstan there were adopted two Protocols on amendments to the MLA.

•  The Protocol on Amendments to the “Basic Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for Development of the Europe-the Caucasus-Asia Corridor”  in view of the New Status of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, which became members of the European Union on 1 January 2007.
  
  

The Protocol came into effect on 4 April 2010 for those MLA Parties which signed and ratified it - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania. The following Parties signed but not ratified the Protocol - Kazakhstan, Moldova, Turkey and Ukraine. The Protocol is not signed by Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

The protocol is open for accession by states.

•  The Protocol on Amendments to the Technical Annex on Customs and Documentation Procedures to the “Basic Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for Development of the Europe-the Caucasus-Asia Corridor”.
  
  

The Protocol currently has not yet come into effect. The Protocol was signed and ratified by one MLA Party - by Azerbaijan (05.03.2010). The MLA Parties that signed the Protocol but not yet ratified – Kazakhstan, Moldova, Turkey and Ukraine. The Protocol is not signed by Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Bulgaria and Romania due to their membership in the EU withdrew from the discussion, adoption and signing of the Protocol.

On January 29, 2015, in Istanbul, Türkiye, during the XI IGC Meeting, a Protocol on amendments and additions to the MLA was signed.

The Protocol was signed and ratified by Tajikistan and Ukraine.  The MLA Parties that signed the Protocol are Armenia, Georgia, and Türkiye. The Protocol has not been signed by Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania and Uzbekistan.

•  Agreement on the Development of Multimodal Transport TRACECA.
  
  
  On June 16, 2009, during the 7th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission TRACECA in Cholpon-Ata, the MLA Parties adopted the Agreement on the Development of Multimodal Transport TRACECA.
  
  

The Agreement entered into force on 9 July 2011 and is in effect with respect to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, having signed and ratified the Agreement.

Kazakhstan, Moldova and Türkiye have appealed with a request to access to the above-mentioned Agreement and are undergoing the adoption procedure. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as the Depositary of the MLA Agreement, received responses from all the signatories of the Agreement.

Bulgaria and Romania will consider the necessity to join the Agreement after consultations with the European Commission.

The Agreement is open for accession by the MLA TRACECA Parties.

The Agreement is open for accession of any other state subject to the consent of all the Parties to the Agreement, received by the Depository via diplomatic channels.

Here you can check Table with Status of TRACECA International Treaties

                                                     Last modifications: 25 April 2020