Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA)

Description - Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA)

The International Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) comprises a complex multimodal transport system of thirteen countries in Europe and Eurasia: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Note: Turkmenistan is not a member of TRACECA, but has requested the access.

1. The corridor begins in Eastern Europe (Moldova, Romania, Ukraine)
2. Cross Turkey.
3. There is a route that goes through the Black Sea to the ports of Poti and Georgia, through the transport network of the Southern Caucasus
4. The southern Caucasus has a road connection with Turkey
5. From Azerbaijan, through the Caspian ferries (Baku - Turkmenbashi, Baku - Aktau), the TRACECA route reaches the railway networks of the states of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
6. The transport networks of these states are connected with Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
7. From these three countries it is possible to reach the borders with China and Afghanistan.

The Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) is an essential part of the foreign trade between Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.

TRACECA's legal framework is defined by the "Basic Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for the Development of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia Corridor" (MLA TRACECA, 1998) whose objectives are:

1. Facilitate access to regional markets by developing road, air, rail and maritime transport
2. Facilitate the international transport of goods
3. Guarantee the safety of transport, products and protection of the environment
4. Harmonise transport policies and legal frameworks related to transport in the TRACECA region

The International Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) is a complex multimodal transport system in the countries of the region, whose objective is to develop economic and commercial relations as well as transport links between the members countries.

This corridor seeks the reactivation of one of the most famous historical routes: the Silk Road.

The European Union supports the development of the International Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), although it is not part of the Agreement.

Countries in the area of influence of the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA):

1. Afghanistan
2. China
3. Russia
4. Belarus
5. Bulgaria
6. Syria
7. Iraq
8. Pakistan
9. Mongolia
10. Turkmenistan

Asian regional economic communities related to the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA)

1. Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Programme (CAREC): Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Iran is an observer country.
2. Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU): Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia
3. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
4. Economic Cooperation Organisation (OCE): Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
5. Commonwealth of Independent States (CEI): Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan y Uzbekistan.
6. Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey
7. Organisation for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD): Azerbaijan, Albania, Afghanistan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, North Korea, South Korea, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Estonia.
8. Regional Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM): Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
9. Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC): Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Grecia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Belarus
10. Eastern Partnership of the UE: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova y Ukraine
11. European Union-South Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
12. European Neighbourhood Policy: Algeria Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine
13. Black Sea Synergy: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine
14. Moldova, Romania and Ukraine are members of the Central European Initiative (CEI)
15. Iran is a member of:
    1. Asian Clearing Union (ACU)
    2. Indian-Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
    3. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (observer country)
16. Turkey is a member of:
    1. Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
    2. Customs Union with the European Union
    3. Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
    4. Africa-Turkey Partnership
    5. Turkey is an observer country in the Association of Caribbean States (ACS)

Free Trade Agreements related to the countries of the Corridor

1. Kazakhstan
   1. Customs Union with Russia and Belarus
   2. Free Trade Agreements with Armenia, Ukraine and Georgia
   3. Collaboration and Cooperation Agreement with the European Union
2. Kyrgyzstan
   1. Cooperation Agreement with Pakistan
   2. Free Trade Agreements with Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine and Uzbekistan
3. Tajikistan
   1. Free Trade Agreements with Armenia, Ukraine and with the Eurasian Economic Union
4. Turkmenistan
   1. Free Trade Agreements with Armenia, Georgia and with the Eurasian Economic Union
5. Armenia
   1. Free Trade Agreements (FTA) of Armenia: Georgia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Moldova, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Tajikistan
6. Azerbaijan
   1. Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Russia, Ukraine and Georgia
   2. Free Trade Agreement between Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova
   3. Eastern Partnership of the UE
7. Georgia
   1. European Union-Georgia Trade Agreement
   2. EFTA-Georgia Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
   3. Free Trade Agreements (FTA) of Georgia with Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
   4. Free Trade Agreement between Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova
8. Moldova
   1. Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
   2. European Union-Moldova Association Agreement
9. Romania
   1. As an EU member is a beneficiary of the EU Free trade agreements with Moldova, Colombia, Ukraine, Mexico, Georgia, South Korea, the ASEAN, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon...
10. Ukraine
    1. Ukraine-EU Association Agreement
    2. European Free Trade Association (EFTA)-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
    3. Free Trade Agreements of Ukraine: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, the Kyrgyz Republic, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
11. Iran
    1. Free Trade Agreements (FTA) of Iran: Algeria, Armenia, Syria, Venezuela, Pakistan
12. Turkey
    1. Free Trade Agreements with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA - Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein), Israel, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisia, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria (pending), Egypt, Jordan, Georgia, Lebanon, Montenegro, Serbia, Chile, Mauritius, South Korea, and Albania.
13. Islamic Trade Preferential System (OCI-TPS)
14. Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)

Main Euro-Asian institutions related to the Corridor

1. Boao Forum for Asia
2. Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)
3. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
4. Asian Development Bank (ADB)
5. Colombo Plan
6. Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Main Islamic institutions related to the Corridor

1. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OCI)
2. Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

The main religions of the region of the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) are:

1. Islam
2. Orthodoxy

The Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) belongs to:

1. Central Eurasian Economic Area
2. Orthodox Economic Area

Related Corridors to the Silk Road

1. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor
2. Asia-Africa Growth Corridor
3. China-Central Asia-Western-Asia Economic Corridor
4. Almaty-Bishkek Economic Corridor
5. China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor
6. China-Central Asia-Western-Asia Economic Corridor
7. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
8. Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Transport Corridor (Lapis Lazuli)
9. International North-South Transport Corridor (India-Russia)
10. Nanning-Singapore Economic Corridor
11. India-Chabahar (Iran)-Afghanistan Economic Corridor
12. International Transport and Transit Corridor of the Ashgabat Agreement
13. Trans-Siberian Railway (Russia, Mongolia, China, North Korea)
14. Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul Rail and Road Corridor (ITI-ECO)
15. Atlantic Transport Corridor (Portugal-Spain-France-Germany)