Baku. TurkicWorld:
We expect the launch of a joint checkpoint between Azerbaijan and Georgia, Chairperson of the Central Asia Transport and Logistics Partnership Larisa Kislyakova said at a panel discussion on the topic “Financing Greener Value Chains in the CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program) region" at the annual meeting of ADB in Tbilisi, TurkicWorld reports.
Speaking about the main efforts to increase the efficiency of the Middle Corridor, Kislyakova noted that it is necessary to increase the number of wagons and modernize ferries to accommodate more vehicles.
"As the Caspian Sea is becoming shallower, it's necessary to modernize and create completely new ferries that will be more capacious and suitable for this solution," she said.
Kislyakova pointed out that if a transit committee and council of transit for all countries involved in this corridor are established, it will be possible to simplify transit and customs procedures.
"Plus, it is necessary to abolish the permit system for transit along this corridor. Because during the export season, the cost of permits increases significantly. If they cost around $50–100, during the export season, the price reaches $3,000–4,000 once a year, and sometimes there aren't enough of them. Therefore, solving these issues will greatly help develop and activate movement along this corridor," she said.
Kislyakova also addressed infrastructure issues.
"This concerns the Central Asian countries more, because there are no problems with transit through Georgia and Azerbaijan, and, of course, we are now expecting Azerbaijan and Georgia to launch a joint checkpoint as soon as possible, which will be the only contender in our countries for joint cargo inspection. This is also very important because currently, cargoes are inspected from both sides, and it takes a lot of time.
Now Tajikistan and Uzbekistan intend to implement joint inspections at one of the checkpoints as well. So, such technological innovations for checkpoints will play a crucial role in speeding up movement along this corridor," she added.
To note, the theme for the 57th Annual Meeting to be held from May 2 through May 5 is “Bridge to the Future”.
The opening session of the Board of Governors will take place on May 4. The opening session marks the official start of the annual meeting. It is a high-profile event attended by the guest of honor from the host country. Remarks will be made by ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa and the Minister of Finance of Georgia and Chair of the ADB Board of Governors, Lasha Khutsishvili.
The annual meeting is an opportunity for ADB Governors to consider development issues and challenges facing Asia and the Pacific. Several thousand participants, including finance ministers, central bank governors, senior government officials, members of the private sector, representatives of international organizations and civil society organizations, youth, academia, and the media, regularly join the meeting.
