UN calls on Central Asia to construct dry ports

Kazakhstan, Astana, June 8 /Trend D.Mukhtarov/ The 17th session of the Project Working Group for Transport and Border Crossing Facilitation (PWG-TBC) under the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) under the chairmanship of deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of Kazakhstan Azat Bekturov, completed its work in Almaty, the press service of the ministry said. The need for a dry port was stressed during the meeting. In particular, there was a call on countries to support the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to develop an intergovernmental agreement on dry ports. Members of the PWG also noted the priority projects in road, rail and inland waterway transport as defined by the expert group for the Euro-Asian Transport Links (EATL), worth $215 billion who discussed the organisation's results over the past year. These include such projects as the reconstruction of the international transit corridor Western Europe - Western China, the construction of the Baku - Tbilisi - Kars rail line, Baku International Port Complex and the redevelopment of the Bishkek - Naryn - Torugart highway. The meeting was attended by delegations from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and several international organisations. The Kazakh side was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Border Service of the National Security Committee. The Secretariat of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UN (ECE) / ESCAP also highlighted road safety issues. The Project Working Group for Transport and Border Crossing Facilitation under the United Nations Special Programme for the economies of Central Asia is a working body of the UN in the field of transport and border crossing. It researches and develops projects to improve the transport infrastructure, the simplification of procedures at the borders of the member states, as well as the formation of an integrated transport policy. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az