ITF Annual Summit: TRACECA participates in discussions on strengthening regional connectivity and sustainable transport

This Summit annually gathers on its platform ministers, leading representatives of ministries and transport authorities from Europe, Asia, Middle East, as well as international transport organizations, including the Permanent Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Commission TRACECA (PS IGC TRACECA).

The Summit, which includes Ministerial Roundtables, provides a permanent platform for constructive analysis and exchange of views on resilience of transport infrastructure to global shocks, in particular extreme weather conditions, geopolitical events, cyber threats and pandemics.

The Ministerial Round Table dedicated to the topic of building maritime transport resilience presented an opportunity for productive dialogue, with Mr. Asset Assavbayev, Secretary General of the PS IGC TRACECA, among the key speakers.

During his speech Mr. A. Assavbayev focused on regional challenges of maritime transport in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea region. The Secretary General informed the participants about the solutions practiced by TRACECA to address these challenges. “Sustainability of maritime transport is a strategic priority for the TRACECA countries, especially in conditions of instability. Strengthening port infrastructure, implementing digital solutions and coordinated measures along the corridor are among our key initiatives”, emphasized the Secretary General.

The ITF Summit reaffirms the need to strengthen international cooperation and develop coordinated solutions to enhance the resilience of transport infrastructure. With global risks on the rise, it is critical to develop joint response mechanisms to ensure a resilient and integrated transport system.

In addition, the Summit featured side events. In particular, ADB (Asian Development Bank) organized a session on the Midterm Review of the 2030 Transport Strategy (CTS 2030 MTR) to present preliminary findings and future directions to the ITF Summit participants, including CAREC member countries and development partners.

During the ADB CAREC session, meeting participants noted that transport corridors can unlock their higher potential by transforming into economic corridors. This is possible by improving mobility and access to connecting roads, integrating trade facilitation and digitalization, and supporting logistics, tourism, and other economic centers along the corridors.

Being among the speakers of the session, on behalf of the PS IGC TRACECA, the Secretary General expressed full support to the Strategy Review, noting the timeliness and relevance of the project. In addition, Mr. Assavbayev expressed support for the proposal to establish a specialized transport and logistics research center at the CAREC Institute. “The TRACECA programme supports the development of such initiatives and, with the existing Memorandum of Understanding, is ready to coordinate relevant activities and dialogue to strengthen the overall capacity of the transport corridor.”

The Summit will continue until May 23, 2025.

Related News:

- International Transport Forum (ITF) Annual Summit May 22-24, 2024

For reference:

- The OECD International Transport Forum (OECD-ITF) is an intergovernmental organization with 69 member countries. It acts as a strategic think tank to help formulate transport policy at the global level and promote economic growth, environmental protection, social inclusion and the preservation of human life and well-being. The International Transport Forum collects statistics, conducts joint research programs and organizes an annual summit that brings together ministers and leading representatives of industry, civil society and academia to participate in targeted debates on the strategy for the development of tomorrow's transport.

- The CAREC Program (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation) aims to improve business competitiveness in its member countries through the implementation of regional projects in transport, trade facilitation, energy trade policy, and economic corridor development.

- The Memorandum of Understanding between the PS IGC TRACECA and the CAREC Institute was signed on September 10, 2018. MoU between the PS IGC TRACECA and the CAREC Institute