OSCE helps private sector of the CIS region deal with transit transport concerns

POTI, Georgia, 18 May 2007 - Public-private partnership in addressing transit transport issues in landlocked countries and their neighbours, cross-border procedures, and possible contributions of the OSCE and other international organizations was the focus of a roundtable discussion in Poti today.

It was part of a two-day conference, "Public Private Partnership in the Great Silk Road Revitalization: the role of multi-modal transportation", organized in Batumi and Poti by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the CIS Co-ordinating Transport Conference and the Georgian International Road Carriers Association with the support of the OSCE.

The conference brought together more than 60 representatives of IRU regional associations and business people from the Black Sea region, South Caucasus and Central Asia.

"One of the challenges of the 21st century for the road transport industry is the re-opening of the ancient Silk Road. This would not only help deliver goods from the Asia-Pacific Region to European countries, but also connect the region with the main world markets, and interconnect businesses along the 12,000 kilometre-long road," said Martin Marmy, the Secretary General of IRU.

Alexey Stukalo, Deputy Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, added: "The private sector has a very important role to play in common efforts to solve transit transport problems in the region. The OSCE can help raise awareness about existing problems and put on the political agenda issues proposed by the private sector and businesses."

Recommendations from today's meeting will be forwarded to a high-level OSCE conference on political co-operation on transport in Central Asia and the South Caucasus to be held on 23 and 24 October in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.