“The Black Sea-Caspian Transit: Dialogue within TRACECA” – one of the key sessions of the IX International Conference Trans-Eurasia-2014

The tasks of development of competent transport corridors, promotion of multimodal transport growth, attraction of goods in the logistic-transport chain, integration of the participating countries with the international economic system are relevant for all participants of the transport process, for all countries developing international transit capabilities, for all international donors implementing programmes in this field, including for the TRACECA region.  

Within the framework of the plenary session of the Conference Mr. Biriucov, Secretary General of the PS IGC TRACECA presented a number of factors as a result of the dynamic development of the transport communication within the TRACECA corridor generating a specific transport bridge connecting East and West, Asia and Europe. Some of these factors are geostrategic position of the region’s countries, intensive development of the Silk Road routes, including the formation of missing and “straightening” transport links and transit traffic, growth of ferry connection along the line of Aktau-Baku-Aktau, etc. In the context of traffic development in Kazakhstan the perspectives in the implementation of the “single window” concept and the development of drafts by-laws are of special interest.

In their turn the speakers of the session on “The Black Sea-Caspian Transit” defined a number of priority issues being important for establishing a constructive dialogue in the TRACECA region, namely – the development of infrastructure, soft measures, customs procedures optimization, measures to increase the effectiveness of ports, shipping companies, issues of their fleets and rolling-stocks, increase of capacities, legal tasks.

On behalf of the presiding Party in the IGC TRACECA Mr. Sherali Gandjalzoda, First deputy minister of the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan, emphasized that the achievement of high-level development and implementation of a complex of measures in the TRACECA region will make it possible to provide a qualitative leap in the solution of such interconnected tasks as the development of appropriate legislation, relevant infrastructure, purchasing modern equipment and personnel training. 

The session participants pointed out that the discussions testified to the necessity of further implementation of transport projects, development of multimodal transport infrastructure, strengthening of interstate cooperation of organizations and companies involved in the field of railway-ferry transport along the Black Sea-Caspian directions, as well as container-contrailer freight transport to be extended up to China in perspective.

In particular one of the most perspective and solid projects is the creation of multimodal block train “Silk Wind” which was initiated by Kazakhstan during the Second Investment Forum in 2012. The follow-up activity and discussions on its implementation go on within the regional project EU-TRACECA “Logistic Processes and Motorways of the Sea II” (LOGMOS). 

The subject of measures implementation dealing with the growth of investment attractiveness of the region became the theme of the discussions as one of the aspects of the project activities EU-TRACECA “Transport Dialogue and Networks Interoperability” (IDEA II). The TRACECA countries have to continue the activity on promotion of participation of business and financial circles in the creation of multimodal networks of the TRACECA transport corridor and development of infrastructure projects with the view of their financing. 

In conclusion the session participants pointed out that harmonization of positions on the issues of increasing the effectiveness of investment, economic and transit-transport potential will contribute to further integration of transport systems and strengthening ties between Europe and Asia.