Economic Cooperation Organization

The 4th Session of the Ad-hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation of the Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) was held virtually on April 19, 2023. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Member States of OTIF, UNECE and other international organization and railway authorities.

The ECO Director of Transport and Communication Mr. Akbar Khodaei, informed the meeting on ECO’s main areas of activity, implemented and ongoing projects on railway transport, as well as on the current status and prospects of the cooperation between ECO and OTIF. Highlighting the importance of the Corridors as the most direct transport route between East-Asian with Europe through Central Asia, the Director also shared his views regarding the way forward for a well-developed and reliable policy-making mechanism for full utilization of the potentials of the railway sector.

OTIF is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to international rail transport. It has been active since 1893 and is the oldest international organisation in the sector. It currently has 50 Member States and one Associate Member. ECO was granted the status of Standing Observer in the OTIF’s ad-hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation in May 2022.