Promoting the strengthening of regional economic integration and transport is the basis of strategies for development of transport corridors

The two-day workshop, held in a hybrid format, served as a platform for presenting the strategy for implementation of the Lapis Lazuli Transit and Transport Corridor, bringing together more than sixty representatives from four countries that signed the Lapis Lazuli Agreement: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Turkmenistan, as well as the Secretary General of the Permanent Secretariat of the IGC TRACECA and other guests of the event, who presented the experience and shared the best practices in the field of trade and transport facilitation.

During the opening session, Mr. John McGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat pointed out a number of the OSCE commitments related to economic connectivity and simplification of transport procedures. Along with this, it was noted that the OSCE Centre will contribute to the revision process by making the strategy and action plan an integral part of the national development strategy of the signatory countries.

During his speech, Mr. A. Assavbayev, Secretary General acquainted the participants with the results of the work done and the plans provided for by the Strategy for Development of the International Transport Corridor Europe-the Caucasus-Asia up to 2026.

Work is continuing on the implementation of the Master Plan recommendations developed within the framework of the Logistics Processes and Motorways of the Sea II Project funded by the European Union, included in the Strategy of the IGC TRACECA up to 2026. According to the recommendations, TRACECA countries have implemented a number of infrastructure projects that have significantly improved the conditions for international transportation.

The main directions of TRACECA initiatives were noted, including constant monitoring of measures taken at the national level and prompt assistance in removing institutional and legal barriers in transport and international trade, improving border crossing procedures, developing rail and road sectors, rail and ferry services, logistics and multimodal transportation. "Digitalization of the corridor, introduction of electronic transport documents, harmonization of requirements for transportation conditions, development of container cargo transportation, determination of competitive tariffs and preferential conditions are the priorities that the TRACECA Secretariat is actively working on," – Mr. A.A. Assavbayev added.  

The workshop participants also discussed key issues that ensure the development of transportation, identification of unused transport potential, impact of a harmonized legal framework on the intensity of cargo flows, role of international conventions in promoting and ensuring the international trade security, as well as factors impacting the goods movement and competitiveness of the transport corridors.
 
The workshop allowed participants to identify the next steps for further support of national partners along the whole corridor in order to fully realize their transport and transit potential.

It is necessary to note that the workshop was organized within the framework of the Centre’s extra-budgetary project on "Strengthening the State Border Service Capacities in Turkmenistan" with the financial support of the Government of Norway.