In a meeting between H.E Noziri, ECO Secretary General and Mr. Umberto De Pretto Secretary General of International Road Transport Union (IRU) on 18 October, 2022 at the ECO Secretariat, the existing cooperation between the two organizations were reviewed and further expansion and deepening of relations were discussed.
The ECO Secretary General highlighted the existing excellent and result oriented relations between the two organizations and praised the constructive role that IRU is playing in development of road transport industry in the ECO Region that has enhanced ECO Region ranking as the leading TIR Carnet user in the world. He also referred to some of the flagship projects that have produced tangible results for the region and appreciated to role of IRU in this connection.
H.E Ambassador Noziri pointed out that as the result of the close cooperation of ECO and IRU, the ITI Road Corridor has been operationalized under TIR System in October 2021, and now the Pakistani trucks are transiting in the Corridor. He described this development as a very strategic achievement for ECO and IRU that was also commended by the 15th ECO Summit in Ashgabat in 2021. He expressed hope that the Turkish and Iranian trucks also start utilizing the Corridor to enhance regional connectivity.
The establishment of the ECO Consultative Group of TIR Guaranteeing Associations (ECO-TIRACG) was also highlighted as a milestone in deepening private sector involvement in the regional collaboration in the framework of the TTCC (Transit Transport Coordination Council) negotiations.
Expansion of cooperation to conduct multimodal TIR transport in the ITI Corridor, activation of the recently proposed corridors of Kyrgyz- Uzbek- Turkmen ,“ Iran as well as Tajik- Uzbek-Turkmen- Iran ,“ Turkey, digitalization of transport and transit documents and procedures, readiness to support IRU activities in the region for development of transport industry in all dimensions were also discussed in detail in the meeting.
