Master Plan: Road Map, Action Plan and further recommendations concerning the development of TRACECA corridor routes

Mr. Akif Mustafayev, Permanent Representative (National Secretary) of the PS IGC TRACECA in the Republic of Azerbaijan informed the attendants of the current status and issues in the transport sector of Azerbaijan, innovations and future plans. The discussions dealt with the latest changes in the construction of the Baku International Sea Trade Port in the settlement of Alyat, development of all railway segments, road sections in accordance with the conceptual programme for the development of the transport sector of Azerbaijan.

On the outcomes of the discussions there were suggested specific recommendations on the organization of Ro-La train in the direction of Georgia-Azerbaijan, separation of RO-RO shipping from railway ferry transport, use of free practice, port communities system in the Caspian region, based on electronic information exchange and procedure of preliminary data supply for declaration, etc.    

The participants of the Round Table agreed to submit their comments at the end of 2014 which could be taken into account in developing the National Action Plan which in its turn will be transformed into the National Strategy for Development of the transport sector of each TRACECA Party.

During the meeting between Mr. Michelle Gueriot and the experts of the Permanent Secretariat there were discussed in detail the potentialities of the Road Map, its application in the TRACECA countries and in this connection the corresponding role of the Permanent Secretariat, as well as the recommendations for each level of the Master Plan, including the institutional-legal sphere, infrastructure and networks, market and operations.

It is necessary to note that the suggested recommendations of the Master Plan for the TRACECA countries provide for the implementation of the “Single Window” concept, institutionalization of cooperation for borders control, introduction of the simplified procedures and transparency of the process, more active participation of the private sector, application of advanced international practice. In addition to the stated above it is necessary to note the improvement of the branch organization and the required skills of TRACECA players.
 
The increase of economic growth rates and economic activity, improvement of legal norms implementation, use of resources of the TRACECA legal expert group are one of the most significant priorities of step-by-step harmonization of TRACECA initiatives with international and European practice.

Further discussions of measures in the field of application of the reporting system for the ships on the “Single Window” concept, development of the transport corridor concept, harmonization of standards and procedures, preparation of a specific action plan serve one leading objective – the development of the Europe-the Caucasus-Asia corridor in the XXI century.