TRACECA and IRU: towards increased cooperation and joint efforts to develop international transport

The exchange of views touched upon the issues of transport and transit opportunities, trade turnover along the TRACECA corridor as well as the perspectives for joint actions of international and interregional organizations to develop international road transport in the region.
 
Mr. A.A. Assavbayev and Mr. Umberto de Pretto stressed the exceptional importance and necessity of an integrated approach and efforts to support and take measures by TRACECA, IRU, ECO, BSEC and other organizations in facilitating international road freight transport and finding rational solutions to restore the economies of countries in terms of the COVID 19 pandemic.
 
In the course of the discussions within the Agenda, the meeting participants focused on and noted such priority areas as the introduction of information technologies and the harmonization of measures to digitalize the transportation process, the settlement of soft infrastructure issues, the intensification of work to attract transit freight flows.
 
In particular, TRACECA Secretary General Assavbayev stressed the timeliness of the IRU initiative "Driving the Recovery" in the post-pandemic period ", including the call on countries of the TRACECA corridor to develop measures to support the road freight transport market.

In turn, within the framework of its efforts and activities, the Permanent Secretariat of the IGC TRACECA aims to adopt the Harmonized Conditions for the Transport of Goods under the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus infection pandemic, to apply the Agreement on Single Transit Permit with an emphasis on liberalizing and increasing the competitiveness of the corridor to reduce the costs of carriers, cost and terms of transportation, simplification of border crossing procedures.

Among the most important and priority steps, Mr. de Pretto highlighted the importance of state support for the road transport industry and the method of lobbying. “The more governments in the region would hear the call, the more attention will be drawn to problematic issues in the industry,” said the Secretary General of the IRU.

Discussions on the elimination of barriers in the implementation of transportations along the TRACECA corridor routes using TIR carnets, an increase in freight traffic in the region with the widespread use of e-TIR, e-CMR, e-Visa, e-Permit in the TRACECA countries led the meeting participants to a common opinion on the establishment of a joint Working Group to develop specific measures with the participation of representatives of National Associations, as well as organize training seminars within web conferences mode.

Mr. Umberto de Pretto IRU Secretary General assured that the IRU is ready to share best practices, experience and knowledge, and to make every effort to catalyze concrete actions for the improvement of the road transport industry.