During the two-day Investors Forum for EU-Central Asia Transport Connectivity, the European Union, Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) and other gathered partners from across the world have made important steps to start the development of the fast route Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor linking Europe and Central Asia within 15 days.
During yesterday’s opening speech, European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis announced an overall commitment to invest €10 billion in sustainable transport connectivity in Central Asia, as compiled contributions from international partners present at the Investors Forum. During the following discussionsbetween public and private stakeholders, a series of Memoranda of Understanding and agreements were signed that will kickstart the development of the corridor.
European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen said:“I am pleased to see that the Forum I initiated has accomplished a great deal over the past two days. The public and private investors on both our regions will work together to make this crucial corridor a success. Multiple Memoranda of Understanding have been signed by the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EU Member States and private sector made concrete commitments. Together, these commitments amount to an impressive €10 billion devoted to sustainable transport connectivity in Central Asia, enabled by the European Commission’s grant funding and investment guarantees. This is the kind of investment we need to move from vision to action.”
Further agreements that were reached:
- An EU-funded Regional Transport Program, to be adopted in 2025.With this new program the EU will offer technical assistance to advance existing and future transport related projects. This contributes to the overall €1.5 billion devolved by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank to progress the transport infrastructure agenda in Central Asia.
- The establishment of a Coordination Platform, to monitor progress, enhance cooperation, and ensure that development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor stays on track.
- A Regional Prosperity-focused Programme that will start delivering in 2024 and will be implemented by the International Trade Centre and the OECD, and geared towards the practical operationalisation and usage of the trans-Caspian transport networks.
- A senior Resident Twinning Advisors instrument is launched in which advisors will be embedded in the Ministries of Transport of all five Central Asian countries from 2024. The coming months the coordination and organisation of dedicated meetings on soft connectivity will start.
These agreements come on top of the Memoranda of Understanding that were signed during the first day of the Forum. The European Investment Bank (EIB), represented by its Vice President Teresa Czerwińska, signed Memoranda of Understanding totalling €1.47 billion with the Governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as well as the Development Bank of Kazakhstan.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), represented by its Vice President Mark Bowman, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kazakhstan, with an investment pipeline worth €1.5 billion with projects already under preparation for the overall development of transport connectivity in the Central Asian region. /// Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission, 30 January 2024