2024-03-21 08:42:24
At the European Parliament in Brussels, Member of the European Parliament from the Law and Justice Party (PiS) of Poland, Tomasz Porejba, held a round table dedicated to the new section of the Via Carpatia, the most important road corridor along the eastern border of the European Union along the North-South axis, connecting the Baltic Sea with the Aegean, Black Sea and the Adriatic seas, Day.Az reports.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Head of the Cabinet of the European Commissioner for Transport Pablo Fabregas Martinez, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Turkey to the EU, Ambassador Faruk Kaymakci, Head of the Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the European Union Ambassador Vagif Sadigov, Deputy Head of the Mission of Georgia to the European Union Bidzina Javakhashvili and member of the Right Party and justice” Ryszard Czarnecki.
“In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East, we need to diversify transport routes in order to have a much more sustainable and stable transport network. Transport connects businesses, different parts of regions and citizens, and also makes this interaction much smoother “This is not only the basis of our economy, without transport no business trade is possible,” said Pablo Fabregas Martinez.
Tomas Poreba noted that the Via Carpathia corridor, starting in Klaipeda and passing through Kaunas, Bialystok, Lublin, Rzeszow, Kosice, Miskolc, Debrecen, Oradea, Lugoj to Kalafat/Constanza, Svilengrad and Thessaloniki, is the shortest highway from north to south.
He recalled that the idea of building this international highway was first put forward by Poland, and then six other EU member states (Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece) joined in.
“Thanks to our common efforts, Via Carpatia is today the most important transit route in the eastern regions of Europe. It has been fully recognized by the institutions of the European Union and therefore all sections of the road have been included in the TEN-T network. The right moment has come to expand transport links through Turkey and Georgia to Azerbaijan, to cover the Caspian Sea,” Poreba emphasized.
Speaking about the new section of the Via Carpathia – the Caucasus Road Corridor, Poreba said that it will open direct access from Turkey and the Caucasus countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) to the Baltic Sea.
“This project will contribute to the development of the region and will significantly accelerate its economic growth,” he emphasized.
Turkish Ambassador Faruk Kaymakci said the ability to easily reach the Nordic countries would attract investment and create a favorable business and industrial environment for large companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.
“This will lead to the creation of jobs, a reduction in unemployment and an improvement in the living conditions of our citizens. Turkey is ready to actively cooperate with the EU on this issue,” he added.
Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan Vagif Sadigov emphasized that in the context of energy security, this new international road corridor is of critical importance for interested countries.
“Connecting the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus with the EU should be a matter of strategic importance for both sides,” he added.
Deputy head of the Georgian mission Bidzina Javakhashvili said that Tbilisi welcomes the transport plans and is ready to cooperate for their implementation.
According to Tural Ganjaliyev, a member of the Milli Majlis (parliament) of Azerbaijan, the new road connection between the Caspian Sea and the European Union will not only accelerate the economic development of the South Caucasus, but can become an important element of political cooperation and normalization of the situation in the region. He noted that this is also a great opportunity for Europe to build strong relations with Azerbaijan and take advantage of its growing role and economic potential.
“We must emphasize the importance of the Via Carpatia, which runs along a North-South axis between the Baltic, Aegean, Black and Adriatic seas, thereby fitting into the process of promoting the economic and territorial unity of the European Union, as well as contributing to the social and economic development of Central and Southern Europe. Such Countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan play an important role in turning these corridors from projects into reality. The EU must continue to invest and play a leading role in trans-regional trade corridor projects. This interconnection increases the competitiveness of European goods and products,” said Ryszard Czarnecki.
Regarding the ongoing negotiations to further expand the TEN-T network to new regions, Poreba said that we cannot rest on our laurels.
“We must use this opportunity to promote new promising road projects connecting the Baltic Sea through seven European countries with the Caspian Sea. All countries are ready in terms of concept, infrastructure, plans and ideas. They are ready to improve connectivity. The time has come to act,” concluded He.
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