Barry Cable Director Transport and Tourism Division 1 st Expert Group Meeting on Developing Euro-Asian Transport Linkages 9-11 March 2004, Alamaty Kazakhstan Strategy for Further Development of Euro-Asian Transport Linkages

2 Background to “Developing Euro-Asian Transport Linkages”  Developing countries constrained by inadequate transport infrastructure, legislation that differs from one country to another and time-consuming border procedures  Opportunities for interregional transport not fully explored  Five regional Commissions  “Capacity-building in developing interregional land and land-cum-sea transport linkages” ( ).

3 Expected accomplishments To identify important existing and potential interregional transport linkages To strengthen the capacities of national officials To put in operation efficient interregional transport linkages.

4 Strategic Vision for Euro-Asian Transport Links 2000, UNECE and UNESCAP put forward their “Common ECE/ESCAP Strategic Vision for Euro-Asian Transport Links” at the Second International Euro- Asian Conference on Transport 2001, with modification adopted by the UNECE Inland Transport Committee 2003, Third International Euro-Asian Conference on Transport endorses the vision as eventually “integrated and harmoniously functioning Euro-Asian transport system” Euro-Asian Corridors identified

5 Major Euro-Asian Corridors identified Transsiberian: Europe (PETCs 2, 3 and 9) – Russian Federation Japan, with branches to: Kazakhstan – China and Korean peninsula; Mongolia – China. TRACECA: Eastern Europe (PETCs 4, 7, 8, 9) – across Black Sea – Caucasus – across Caspian Sea – Central Asia. Southern: South-eastern Europe (PETC 4) – Turkey – Islamic Republic of Iran, with branches from Iran to: Central Asia – China; South Asia – South-East Asia/Southern China. North-South: North Europe (PETC 9) – Russian Federation, with branches to: Caucasus – Persian Gulf; Central Asia – Persian Gulf; Across the Caspian Sea – Islamic Republic of Iran – Persian Gulf.

6 Strategy for the Euro-Asian transport system development Formulation of integrated intermodal international Euro-Asian transport routes/corridors and networks. Formalization through international agreements or amendments to existing ones, as a basis for their coordinated development. Facilitation of transport at border-crossing based on relevant international conventions Establishing national transport/trade facilitation committees Analysis of routes/corridors to identify physical and non-physical barriers Operationalization through efficient arrangements and mechanisms for each international route

7 Strategy for the Euro-Asian transport system development Introduction/development of modern information technology. Development of transport logistics. Development of Public-Private Partnerships Further development of efficient cooperation between international and other organizations involved. Particular attention to be given to needs of landlocked countries and economies in transition.

8 Major outputs of the project Infrastructure Routes (rail, road, intermodal) within each of the Euro-Asian Transport corridors identified Set of alternative transport routes (where appropriate) for each participating country identified; Agreements on the routes reached between the countries concerned.

9 Major outputs of the project Facilitation/Border crossing National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committees established/ strengthened in the countries (TOR, Work Plans, Protocols … ); Actions initiated/persued to introduce and implement major relevant international conventions (UNECE, UNESCAP resolution 48/11...); Border-crossing points and route specific problems identified

10 Major outputs of the project Development needs identified Major physical and non-physical barriers identified through the UNESCAP methodology for international transport route analysis, including costs and time issues; Possibility of transport of ISO and non-ISO (high cube) containers along each of Euro-Asian transport routes established (including container terminals, ICO, transshipment points/nodes); Priority development needs (needs of common domestic and international importance) identified; Possible Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) approaches suggested; Operation cooperative arrangements suggested;

11 Formulation of interregional transport linkages UNECE-UNESCAP-National Focal Points Extension of Pan-European Transport Corridors (PETCs) towards Asia Extension of Asian transport routes to Europe Euro-Asian Transport corridors, a starting point along with UNECE European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries (AGR) and UNESCAP Asian Highway UNECE European Agreement on Main International Railway Lines (AGC) and UNESCAP Trans-Asian Railway as the basis for the route alignments. TRACECA-ECO-OSJD Euro-Asian links also considered

12 Limitations to identification of linkages Not all links in these networks included in but only those most relevant within the four corridors. Countries are invited to propose routes considered Euro-Asian importance. Intermodal perspective, inland water routes and major seaports should also be considered together with inland container depots and border crossing facilities Focus on container traffic. At least three major origin/destination points in Europe (Central, Northern and Southern Europe) should be identified and agreed upon as basis for analysis. Air transport be excluded at the present time.

13 Considerations in identifying linkages Corridor “ Transsiberian ” Only railway routes to be considered ? Corridor “ TRACECA ” Railway-cum-sea (across the Caspian and Black Seas) route only ?; Corridor “ Southern ” Rail, road and intermodal (rail-cum-road) routes; Routes through South Asia and South-East Asia to China to be considered in follow-up phase of project. Corridor “ North-South ” Railway and rail-cum-sea (Caspian Sea) route; Clarification should be sought with regard to roads.

14 Project schedule Identification of routes (March – July 2004) technical specifications of the infrastructure; operational information, including estimated traffic volume; and Current/ongoing investment projects on routes UNECE and UNESCAP have prepared a draft questionnaire for consideration As far as possible, the secretariat will provide the NFPs with data available to assist Consolidation/analysis of data (July – Sept 2004) Presentation of preliminary results (October 2004)

15 Prioritization of investment projects Countries develop inventory of national projects UNECE/UNESCAP consolidate at interregional level Prioritization Consensus on linkages/route alignments Constitute elements of the corridors Included in UNECE/UNESCAP networks Do not meet minimum standards for international traffic Identified as a time/cost bottleneck

16 UNESCAP time-cost methodology to isolate, identify bottlenecks Distance Time/ cost

17 Distance Time/ cost Transport to border UNESCAP time-cost methodology to isolate, identify bottlenecks

18 Distance Border crossing Time/ cost UNESCAP time-cost methodology to isolate, identify bottlenecks

19 Distance Transport to sea port Time/ cost UNESCAP time-cost methodology to isolate, identify bottlenecks

20 Distance Wait at sea port Time/ cost UNESCAP time-cost methodology to isolate, identify bottlenecks

21 Distance Sea transport Time/ cost UNESCAP time-cost methodology to isolate, identify bottlenecks

22 Distance Time/ cost UNESCAP time-cost methodology to isolate, identify bottlenecks

Lao-ThaiLao- Vietnam Mongolia- China Mongolia- Russia Nepal- India Kazakhstan - Russia Uzbekistan- Turkmenistan Border AverageMaximum Comparison of border crossing time (hours)

24 Cost/TEU $131 $100 $293 $155 $124 $200 $650 $0 $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 $700 Lao-ThaiLao - Vietnam Mongolia - China Mongolia - Russia Nepal- India *Kazakhstan- Russia *Uzbekistan- Turkmenistan Comparison of border crossing costs (US$ per TEU)

25 Project schedule Facilitation of transport along the Euro-Asian transport linkages (2005) Analysis of transit times and costs along routes cost/time/distance analysis be conducted to assess the physical and non-physical bottlenecks Capacity building and strengthening of implementation of the major international transport agreements and conventions by countries series of national (and/or subregional) workshops Strengthening of national trade/transport facilitation committees

26 Project schedule Establishment of a database with contact details of responsible experts and institutions involved in the Euro-Asian development aspects in consultation with member states, other development agencies and offices of the UN system. Creation of a website for the project (already initiated). Organization of workshop for sharing lessons learned across the Regional Commissions.

27 Thank you for your attention