5^th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Transport and Communications

16 August 2004

PRESS RELEASE

            The 5^th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Transport and Communications was held in Cholpon-Ata (Kyrgyz Republic) on 10-12 August, 2004. The Meeting was attended by Ministers of Transport and Communications of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Kazakhstan and Republic of Tajikistan as well as delegations from Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Turkey and Republic of Uzbekistan. The Meeting was preceded by a two days Senior Officials Meeting which discussed the most important issues and projects of the ECO cooperation schemes in transport and communication sector. Secretary General of the ECO Secretariat and a representative of UNESCAP also attended the Meeting.

            The Meeting was inaugurated by Mr. Kubanychbek M. Jumaliev, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic who opened the Meeting with reading a message of Kyrgyz President Mr. Askar Akayev. Most important areas of cooperation in Transport and Communications of ECO were discussed in this Meeting and new comments/decisions were made by participating delegations for facilitating the implementations of the existing projects incorporated in the Programme of Action for Decade of ECO Transport and Communications (1998-2007). Running of container and passenger trains between Almaty-Istanbul which have passed initial stages but faced some impediments for further implementation was among very important issues discussed in this meeting and the Ministers decided to appeal to some member states, which have shown less interest in harmonizing their national policies with these two projects, to take necessary measures to remove the remaining obstacles.

            Early ratification of Transit Transport Framework Agreement or TTFA as the most comprehensive Transit Transport Agreement ever made between the ECO member states was the other important issues discussed in this meeting and the delegations which their respective countries have not ratified the Document yet were asked to accelerate the ratification process to pave the way for increasing transit trade between the member states.

            The Islamic Republic of Iran agreed to host the 6^th ECO Ministerial Meeting of Transport and Communications in Tehran in 2005 and the participating delegations welcomed this decision.

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