TRACECA SG: Expansion of Caspian sea transportation is vital

The Secretary-General of the permanent secretariat of the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), Edward Biryukov, said here on Monday that transportation in the Caspian Sea is 'vital.' “Transportation among the Caspian sea ports and harbors is one of the most important plans for TRACECA to be implemented and executed,“ Biryukov said. Biryukov made the remark in a meeting with the Mazandaran Province transportation managers in Amirabad port in Behshar. He expressed hope that expansion of transportation among the Caspian Sea ports would help upgrade transportation facilities and power of the important Sea. The Secretary General named Iran as one of the most active members of the corridor and said the European Union fully supports boosting the capacities of all TRACECA plans among the member countries. Biryukov insisted on revitalization of old Silk Road, that is extended from Europe to far East, by creating an interation among the TRACECA members and said Iran has an important role in that concern. TRACECA program was firstly launched at a conference in Brussels in May 1993, which brought together trade and transport ministers from TRACECA's eight founding states (five Central Asian republics and three Caucasian republics). At the conference, it was agreed to implement a program of the European Union, funded technical assistance (TA), to develop a transport corridor on the West-East axis, stretching from Europe, to Central Asia via the Black Sea, the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. TRACECA members include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan and Iran.