BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 24
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava met with the new Secretary General of the Permanent Secretariat of Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) of Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) Aset Asavbayev, Trend reports on Feb. 24 citing Georgian media.
The main activity of the TRACECA program is the development of the East-West transport corridor, which begins in Europe and goes through Central Caucasus to Central Asia.
At the meeting, the parties discussed Georgia’s participation in the TRACECA program, and prospects for further cooperation.
Turnava informed Asavbayev about the economic trends in Georgia, the current and planned reforms, as well as about the decisions the Georgian government has taken to increase the country's transport and logistics capabilities.
The Minister of Economy spoke about major infrastructure projects, such as the modernization of the Georgian railway, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the East-West expressway, as well as projects aimed at increasing the capacity of ports.
According to Turnava, after the launch of these projects, the capacity of the Georgian transport infrastructure as well as the safety of transportation will increase significantly.
Particular emphasis was placed on the increased container traffic. In 2019, Georgian sea ports processed 647,816 TEU units, which is 42 percent more than in 2018. In addition, the number of containers transported by the Georgian railway increased by 39 percent compared to 2018.
At the meeting, special attention was paid to the project of 'digitization' of the transport corridor passing through the territory of Georgia, which is one of the priorities of the Georgian government. According to Turnava, the implementation of this project will significantly increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of the corridor that will connect China and Europe through Central Asia and the Caucasus. The parties agreed to deepen cooperation in the development of this corridor.
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