The twelfth session of the Transport Policy Council under the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) Integration Committee convened in Tashkent on Friday, 27 April.

The heads of the transport departments and transport agencies of the EurAsEC member states, representatives of the CIS International Automobile Transportation Union, the CIS Intergovernmental Highway Council attended the meeting.

The EurAsEC includes Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The EurAsEC creation treaty was signed in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 10 October 2000. Uzbekistan officially joined to the organisation on 25 January in Saint Petersburg. The organization aims at promoting the creation of the common customs and economic space in the CIS. The coordination of WTO accession efforts of the member countries is another priority of EurAsEC.

Ravshan Fayzullaev, chairman of the Association of Transport and Transport Communications of Uzbekistan, said the increase of the volume of cargo and passenger transportation in the Eurasian region will require coordination of the activity of transport bodies of the EurAsEC and development of cooperation among them.

Igor Levitin, chairman of the Council on Transport Policy, Transport Minister of Russia, hailed transport infrastructure and transit potential of Uzbekistan. He said the accession of the Uzbekistan to EurAsEC expands opportunity of creation of new transport routes.

The participants discussed issues related to tariff policy, attraction of investments for the formation and development of transport corridors, transportation safety control, preservation of freight and environmental protection.

The attendees also considered a draft concept on the initiation of the common transport space of the EurAsEC member countries. Its aim is to provide free movement of passengers, cargo, transport means and transportation services throughout the EurAsEC. Transport area is essential for the realization of the EurAsEC programme tasks aimed at foundation of the common economic space, customs union, and raising the competitive power of the Community’s transport industry at the world market.

The meeting ended with signing a package of documents. The sides agreed to hold next session of the council in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in October-November.