The meeting was moderated by the Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ramin Guluzade, representing the current Chairman-in-Office of the Turkic Council, and attended by the Secretary General of the Turkic Council, H.E. Baghdad Amreyev; Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Turkey, H.E. Adil Karaismailoğlu; Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, H.E. Elyor Ganiev; Vice Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Berik Kamaliyev; State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Roads of the Kyrgyz Republic, H.E. Ermek Mamyrkaliev; and the Minister of State for Transport Policy of Hungary, H.E. László Mosóczi.
The Ministers discussed the national efforts of the Parties in the fight against the global pandemic and measures currently taken by them in the field of transport during the crisis period, and elaborated on the practical ways to address the difficulties the countries are currently facing in transporting goods. Parties also touched upon the future steps that they would need to take in transport field for the early recovery of the economic repercussions of the pandemic.
Participants underlined the vital importance of taking necessary measures to ensure sustainable transport operations for food security and unhindered passage of essential, humanitarian and basic consumer goods, as well as medicines and medical equipment among the countries. Parties highlighted the urgency of the facilitation of transport operations across the Trans-Caspian East-West International Transport Corridor to help overcome the negative effects of the global pandemic on the economies of the regional countries.
The Ministers agreed on assisting one another in the passage of freight vehicles through borders/checkpoints for the delivery of humanitarian and basic consumer goods, medicines and medical equipment, and on exchanging information on emerging problems in this field. They also consented to lend assistance to one another with additional transit permits, transit-pass fees, driver visas on the basis of reciprocity.
Parties decided to create a “Task Force” at the level of Deputy Ministers under the name of “Transport Coordination Committee” of the Turkic Council to quickly resolve emerging issues and effectively coordinate transport and logistics during and after the pandemic. In order to overcome the limitations caused by the pandemic, they agreed on the establishment of a “Green Corridor” among the Member States within the framework of the Turkic Council for the prompt transit of food, medical products and other essential goods. They also agreed to finalize the negotiations of the draft “Agreement on the International Combined Freight Transport Among the Member States of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States” as soon as possible.
Parties agreed to hold the next meeting of the Ministers of Transport of the Turkic Council in Budapest.
