26 September
2024
More than 140 industry leaders and experts, financial institutions and development organizations from more than 30 countries gathered in Tashkent for an international conference on road transport and trade.
How can we improve the resilience and sustainability of global trade with proven tools?
This issue was at the heart of this year's international road transport conference organized by IRU member Association of International Road Carriers of Uzbekistan (AIRCUZ) in partnership with the IRU and the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.
During the keynote session on mechanisms for better communication, panelists from the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the Eurasian Development Bank, USAID Trade Central Asia, the Asian Development Bank, and the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan weighed in on the main challenges and opportunities facing faced by the road transport sector. They also focused on the critical role of road transport in connecting transport corridors and modes of transport.
During the pandemic and in the face of constant geopolitical challenges, such as the Red Sea crisis, road transport has demonstrated its ability to adapt quickly. It ensures the sustainability of supply chains, demonstrating its effectiveness over long distances approaching 10,000 km.
The conference emphasized the importance of harmonizing customs, transport and border procedures with the TIR system.
The global TIR transit system offers significant time and cost savings, security and transparency based on advance risk management and mutually recognized documentation and procedures. The benefits are set to increase further with the widespread deployment of eTIR.
IRU President Radu Dinescu said: "For all of us who work with TIR, 2024 is a special year."
“This year marks the 75th anniversary of TIR: the UN's longest-running public-private partnership. Over the decades, TIR has had a tangible and undeniable impact on global trade and development," he added.
A special session explored how TIR increases the efficiency and security of transit and trade while reducing CO2 emissions. Panelists from UNECE, IRU, TIR and road haulier associations, as well as the wider TIR trading community, animatedly discussed the game-changing cases in which TIR has been a game-changer, particularly for intra- and inter-regional trade and communications. The panelists also agreed that the path to TIR can only be digital, and urged governments to speed up the implementation of eTIR.
The benefits of TIR are recognized not only by the transport and trade communities, but also at the highest political level.
AIRCUZ Chairman Sanjar Pulatov said: "In Uzbekistan, an unprecedented level of cooperation between the private and public sectors has led to exponential growth of transport operations, companies and the fleet - thus making a significant contribution to the economy and prosperity of the Uzbek people."
"We thank the Ministry of Transport and the State Customs Committee, as well as our partners in Uzbekistan and abroad for their unwavering support. Our next step is to deploy an online platform that consolidates transport business processes, data, documentation and information exchange," he added.
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said: "Uzbekistan is a true success story of how a landlocked country can become the largest TIR issuer."
"I am proud and pleased that governments and companies around the world continue to make the most of TIR to improve the efficiency and security of trade and transit," he added.
The President and Secretary General of the IRU also held bilateral meetings with Ilkhom Makhkamov (Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan), Ilkhom Mukhtorov (First Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan), Mirvokhid Azimov (Deputy Secretary General of the organization). Turkic states) and Dimitrios Rallis (Deputy General Secretary of PERMIS of the BSEC). In addition, Radu Dinescu and Umberto de Pretto joined informal consultations on the relationship between the EU and Uzbekistan, exchanging best practices on market access and visa liberalization
The conference ended with an award ceremony for the best managers and operators of road transport in Eurasia.
The conference was followed by a field visit to the heart of the ancient Silk Road, the city of Bukhara, for an informal round table on East-West and North-South connectivity.
The participants got acquainted with the latest TIR news in China and shared their practical experience in implementing new TIR routes. The program offered ample opportunities for networking and business acquaintances.