Tehran, Iran – Asset Assavbayev, Secretary-General of TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia), praised Iran's pivotal role in regional transportation during the 17th Intergovernmental Commission meeting held at the Espinas Palace Hotel in Tehran. Assavbayev expressed gratitude for Iran hosting the event, marking the first time since the nation joined TRACECA that it has presided over the commission.

With Iran now holding the one-year presidency, Assavbayev emphasized the strategic importance of its agenda. "Currently, Iran serves as a vital link connecting TRACECA member states, granting them access to the Persian Gulf," he stated. He expressed optimism that Iran's leadership would foster improved transit, export, and import conditions among member states.

Assavbayev underscored the necessity for Iran to enhance its infrastructure to fully capitalize on its regional transportation potential. He called for improvements to border crossing routes, rail and maritime infrastructure, and overall logistics development. "Enhancing these corridors will encourage more countries to utilize Iran’s territory for cargo transit," he noted.

He also stressed the importance of ratifying a transit agreement among TRACECA members to streamline cross-border freight transport. Harmonizing customs tariffs and transit procedures from Kazakhstan through Turkey to Europe was identified as another crucial step to increase the attractiveness of Iran as a preferred transport route.

Recognizing that Central Asian countries lack direct access to open waters, Assavbayev highlighted Iran's infrastructure development as a critical pathway for maritime trade.

A key agenda item of the meeting was the proposal to establish a TRACECA investment fund. If approved, the fund would leverage financial resources from international institutions to improve transport infrastructure across member states, particularly in Iran.

Assavbayev announced that 16 agenda items were to be discussed during the commission meeting, expressing confidence in achieving positive outcomes for all member countries.