A quadripartite meeting of the Expert Working Group on the Caspian Sea - Black Sea international transport route took place in Bucharest on Monday with the participation of high representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Turkmenistan. The parties discussed issues related to putting this cargo route into practice, according to the information released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
The delegations were headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania Maria Magdalina Grigore, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Alexander Khvtisiashvili and Head of the Department of Customs Control and Trade Promotion of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Samad Garalov.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport, Internal Affairs, Trade, Customs, Border and Migration Services, the sea ports of Turkmenbashi, Constanta, Baku, transport and logistics centers and business communities from the four countries.
The speakers referred to the four-sided meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Turkmenistan held in Bucharest on March 4, 2019 and the Bucharest Statement adopted at the meeting, which became an important document reflecting the political commitment of the four countries in implementing the initiative on the creation of the international transport route Caspian Sea - Black Sea.
The participants discussed the role of this transport route in connecting the countries of Europe and Asia, and its significance in the context of the new EU Strategy for Central Asia adopted in June 2019, and the EU Strategy for Europe and Asia adopted in October 2018. The sides also exchanged information on existing and ready-to-action transport infrastructures along the route, as well as the possibilities for their expansion.
The parties also considered issues related to the possibility of developing and implementing regulatory legal acts at the national level that will contribute to creating favorable conditions for launching the route and enhancing economic cooperation in the East - West direction.
The Turkmen delegation also had a meeting with the leadership of the “Administration of the Seaports of Constanta” on Tuesday and explored capabilities of the seaport.
