Georgia chairs, hosts anniversary Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia meeting
16th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission of TRACECA opened in Tbilisi. Photo: Ministry of Economy
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Development of multimodal and maritime transport, facilitation of border crossing procedures and other questions are being discussed at the annual meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission of TRACECA, an international transport cooperation programme between the European Union and its partner countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia, hosted in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi.
The meeting, chaired by Georgia, also includes the signing of a memorandum between the permanent secretariats and the United Nations office for the least developed, landlocked and small island developing countries.
Professionals and officials gathering for the event will also discuss:
- The results of the functioning of the TRACECA permit system for international road transport in 2021
- The status of implementation by the MLA parties of the Commission’s decisions
- Information on accession to international agreements
- The report on the implementation of the action plan for 2018-2021 for implementation of the Strategy of the Intergovernmental Commission
Photo: Ministry of Economy
Georgia’s Ministry of Economy said the event was also marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of the TRACECA programme and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Basic Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for Development of the Europe-the Caucasus-Asia Corridor.
In his comments, Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili said TRACECA member countries had been cooperating “for years” to improve infrastructure and coordinate operations.
The meetings of the Intergovernmental Commission are a very important platform for this communication, coordination and cooperation. The chairmanship is important for Georgia in terms of being able to better coordinate and communicate with partner countries, which will contribute to the more efficient operation of TRACECA and, in general, to increase competitiveness in our corridor", Davitashvili said.
The Ministry also highlighted the accession of Turkmenistan to the MLA as a topic of “special attention” for the meeting.
Georgia received the chairmanship of the Commission from Bulgaria.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said facilitating connectivity projects with Europe was an "important" subject and one of the "clear priorities" of his Government, in a press briefing with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Tbilisi.
The high officials of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Romania and Hungary on Saturday signed an Agreement on the Black Sea Submarine Electricity Cable project in Bucharest, to export green energy to Europe via Georgia.
Georgia's strategic geographic location makes a "natural bridge" connecting the West and the East and is a gateway to eight landlocked countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia, which is a crucial link on the European Union's Global Connectivity map and a game changer, when it comes to diversification of transport routes and energy supply, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Saturday.
World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus Sebastian Molineus has stated earlier today that Georgia can be a strong leader ‘not only in the region but globally as well’ in regional connectivity and integration following the meeting with the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, on Friday said the role of the Middle Corridor, the logistics route linking Europe and Asia via the South Caucasus, was increasing and added the EU was supporting the project for facilitating its increased scope of operation.
Vesselin Valkanov, the Bulgarian Ambassador to Georgia, on Wednesday said it was “important” for Georgian authorities to understand the country’s role in connecting Asia to Europe and effect an expansion of related infrastructural capabilities.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Guram Guramishvili on Tuesday highlighted the country’s role in the development of the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia, an initiative involving the European Union and states of Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia.