TRACECA and UNECE sum up the results of the 22nd International Seminar on the Development of the Digital Multimodal Trans-Caspian Corridor in Baku

The event was organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) jointly with the PS IGC TRACECA and development partners. The seminar brought together heads and leading experts of relevant government agencies from the TRACECA and SPECA regions, representatives of the European Commission, the World Bank, GIZ, ITC, as well as members of the business community.

Welcoming remarks were delivered to the participants by the Secretary General of the PS IGC TRACECA, Mr. Jasurbek Choriev, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ms. Marijana Kujundžić, and the Adviser to the Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Namazov.

The main item on the Agenda was consideration of the draft Methodology for the Trans-Caspian Digital Corridor, developed on the basis of UN/CEFACT standards, and discussion of best practices in data exchange. Particular attention was paid by the experts to the status of implementation of pilot projects on the digitalisation of rail, maritime, road and air transport.

In his remarks, the Secretary General of the PS IGC TRACECA emphasised that digitalisation has ceased to be a separate technological area and has become a mandatory condition for the competitiveness of international routes. He noted the transition from individual experiments (the eCIM/SMGS pilot projects and data exchange between Caspian ports) to scaling up – the practical deployment of a fully-fledged multimodal digital corridor. “The key challenges remain the mutual recognition of electronic documents, the synchronisation of administrative procedures, and ensuring the interoperability of digital platforms on the basis of UN/CEFACT standards,” he noted.

Speaking at the event, the EU Ambassador, Ms. Marijana Kujundžić, highlighted the strategic role of the South Caucasus and Central Asia in ensuring global connectivity (the Connectivity Agenda) and the diversification of sustainable supply chains. She noted the key importance of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, European experience in deploying the TEN-T network, as well as the EU–Azerbaijan Connectivity Partnership initiative. Particular emphasis was made on the new Connectivity for Peace investment package, worth up to EUR 200 million, with the potential to attract up to EUR 2 billion in investment in the region’s transport, energy and digital sectors.

​On behalf of the European Commission, Ms. Ingrid Cailhol highlighted the critical importance of advancing “soft connectivity”, for which the EU has earmarked around EUR 45 million alongside substantial commitments to physical infrastructure (EUR 10 billion). The EC representative stressed that the focus must be placed on finding common denominators across trade and transport documents and re-using data based on the UNECE methodology proposal, rather than solely developing isolated IT systems. She also highlighted TRACECA’s growing role as a crucial political platform bringing together all participating countries, expressing the EU’s readiness to re-establish closer collaboration.

Following the work carried out within the framework of three thematic sessions and an expert round table, the participants discussed matters related to the digitization of accompanying documents, regulatory convergence and ensuring cybersecurity in data exchange. 
 

Background:

The seminar represented a further practical step in implementing the Roadmap for the Digitalisation of Multimodal Data Exchange along the Trans-Caspian Route, endorsed by the countries’ leaders at the SPECA Summit in November 2023. The initiative builds on the outcomes of the 2022 Baku Conference and the 2023 SPECA Ministerial Statement, consolidating the results of a series of regional seminars held in Turkmenistan, Baku and Astana in 2025–2026.