On 12-13 December, 2007 there was held the VI Annual Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) TRACECA in Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan. The meeting was attended by official representatives of the Parties to the MLA at the level of deputy prime ministers, ministers and deputy ministers of transport, Permanent Representatives (National Secretaries) of the Permanent Secretariat (PS) of the IGC TRACECA in the member-states, representatives of the European Commission and international organization.

In the course of the meeting the Republic of Bulgaria handed over the chairmanship in the IGC to the Republic of Kazakhstan. There were considered and summarized the outcomes of the activities carried out within the reporting period for the development of the TRACECA transport corridor, action programme for the next year, as well as the financial issues. The participants of the meeting discussed a number of substantial issues directed to future more effective operation of the transit potential of the TRACECA corridor, implementation of the IGC TRACECA Strategy on the development of the transport corridor the «Europe-the Caucasus-Asia» for the period up to 2015. In particular, the Concept for designing action plans to implement the IGC TRACECA Strategy and Action Plan for 2008-2009.

For the purpose of further improvement of the activity of the Permanent Secretariat of the IGC TRACECA, the meeting discussed a number of organizational and procedural issues. In particular, there were approved amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the IGC and Statute of the PS, and the annex to the Statute of the PS on the meetings of the Permanent Secretariat.

Taking into account the fact that on 1 January, 2007 the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania acceded the European Union, and expressed their political will for further participation in TRACECA, at the meeting the Parties to the MLA signed the Protocol on Amendments to the MLA in respect of the new status of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, acceded to the EU on 1 January, 2007, as well as the respective Declaration of the Parties to the MLA.

Moreover, heads of the delegations of the Parties signed the Protocol on Amendments to the Technical Annex on customs and documentation procedures to the MLA. Signature of document became another significant step towards simplification of border-crossing procedures, facilitation to the transit of goods and international trade, and ensuring parity conditions for transport in the TRACECA region.

In order to approximate the national legislations of the MLA member-countries in the field of transport, and development of the freight forwarding activity in the TRACECA region, the meeting considered the Draft Model Law on Freight Forwarding Activity. The Draft Agreement on the Development of Multimodal Transport, which was also considered during the Conference, will serve the same purposes. The meeting decided to follow up the issue and improve the above two documents for further submission to the nest Conference of the IGC.

For the purpose of enhancement of economic cooperation within the frame of the MLA, development of Public Private Partnership (PPP) and promoting creation of the attractive investment environment in the region, the PS elaborated a concept of the Business Advisory Council (BAC). The idea of establishing such a structure under the umbrella of TRACECA was submitted to the Conference and adopted. The IGC decided to prepare the documents on establishing the BAC. The Parties supported the PS idea of creating the TRACECA Investment Fund. There was made a decision to follow up the issue with support from the EC.

The meeting approved transport projects of the ENP Regional Action Programme 2007.

With the a view of reinforcing the cooperation and strengthening the dialogue between the MLA member-states and European Commission, and in the framework of the EC activity on extension of Trans-European Transport Networks to the neighbouring countries and countries of Central Asia.

The IGC underlined the significance of the Anniversary Summit in 2008, which would give a new incentive to the development of the TRACECA programme, and agreed to convene the Summit in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan.

During the Conference the Permanent Secretariat of the IGC TRACECA and the Permanent International Secretariat of the Black Sea Economic Organization (BSEC PERMIS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding intended to promote more efficient implementation of common goals of these two organizations, allow to avoid overlapping of activities, and thus, finally contribute to the development of transport and trade in the region.

The meeting also took note of the conclusions of the 2nd Baku Aviation working group meeting that took place in Chisinau on 22 October 2007 and the presentation of the Turkish side on the issues of air traffic.

At the result of the meeting there were signed the Final Resolutions of the IGC TRACECA, and adopted the Astana Declaration.