OSCE supports efforts to improve connectivity along the Euro-Asian transport routes at an event in Tbilisi

A two-day expert workshop on “Strengthening Security and Inter-operability along Euro-Asian Inland Transport Corridors” took place in Tbilisi on 12 and 13 December 2019.  The event was organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) jointly with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and in partnership with the Transport and Logistics Development Policy Department of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.

Over 40 experts and officials from relevant agencies as well as railway transport operators, private sector associations and representatives of research institutions and think tanks from across many countries in the Euro-Asian region attended.  Participants discussed a wide range of issues related to the current state of affairs in the Euro-Asian region’s inland transport networks and ways to address existing challenges. Among the solutions discussed were establishing unified regulatory regimes and international coordination mechanisms for efficient management of inland transport systems.

Participants also discussed the use of new technologies and development of intelligent transport systems, such as corridor-based tracking and tracing of shipments. The measures to mitigate cyber threats to transport links on a national and international level were also part of the discussion.

“Connectivity is not only about physical infrastructure, regulatory and administrative barriers. It is also about addressing safety and security issues in order to ensure uninterrupted international transport and trade,” said Ketevan Salukvadze, the Head of Transport and Logistics Development Policy Department of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. “We should also not forget the importance of modern technologies. Application of e-documents, IT solutions, corridor management systems including in-time tracking and tracing is key for effective and efficient supply chain management." 

“We assist our participating States in addressing specific transit transportation challenges and provide a platform for positive discussions on trade and connectivity that can be used  for building trust and security, in the area” said  Programme Officer at OCEEA Kurban Babayev.

Konstantinos Alexopoulos, Chief of the Transport Facilitation and Economics Section at the Sustainable Transport Division of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNICE) said: “The UNECE’s Euro-Asian Transport Links project brings together over 38 countries from Europe and Asia. It shows that road and rail transportation along Euro-Asian corridors is supplementing rather than competing with maritime transport. In particular, road and railway networks provide a solution for high value and time-sensitive cargo, especially in the context of growing e-commerce.”

This event is a follow-up activity to the joint OSCE-UNECE Inland Transport Security Discussion Forum on “Strengthening Security on Inland Freight Routes“ organized in September of this year in Geneva.