Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5
By Emil Ismayilov - Trend:
Azerbaijan does not support the initiative of establishing an arbitration structure (International Court of Arbitration) under the intergovernmental commission of TRACECA (Europe-Caucasus-Asia), which is an international program of cooperation in the field of transport, TRACECA National Secretary in Azerbaijan Akif Mustafayev told Trend Sept. 5.
"Romania voiced the initiative for the establishment of the International Court of Arbitration under the TRACECA intergovernmental commission, but the Azerbaijani side does not support it," he said.
"There is no need to establish an arbitration structure," he said. "There were no conflicts for which the arbitration was required within ten years since this transportation program had been implemented," he said.
"At present, there is no need to establish an arbitration structure," he said. "But Azerbaijan can join this initiative in the future in case of the conflict situations and the need for arbitration."
"As several other TRACECA members, we do not support the establishment of this structure now," he said. "Currently, this issue is not on the agenda."
TRACECA is a program of cooperation in the field of transport among the EU and its partner countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. The organization has a permanent secretariat in Baku.
Currently, TRACECA member-states are Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Iran.
Around 59 million metric tons of cargo were transported through the Azerbaijani segment of the corridor in 2013, which is 3.8 percent more than in 2012. Around 285.2 million people were transported within the corridor in 2013, which is 9.3 percent more than in 2012. The revenues from transportation of goods within the corridor in 2013 amounted to 476.4 million manat, which is 7.5 percent more than in 2012. The revenues from passenger transportation amounted to 106.5 million manat in 2013, which is 15.8 percent more than in 2012.
The official exchange rate is 0,7843 AZN/USD Sept. 5.