TRACECA

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TRACECA stands for Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia. It is an international transport program with 14 countries from the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Its goal is to boost trade, economic links, and transport across the Black Sea region, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Key facts
- Headquarters: Permanent Secretariat in Baku, Azerbaijan, financed initially by the European Commission; regional office in Odesa, Ukraine.
- Created: May 1993 in Brussels to develop transport corridors, including road links, among EU members and the participating countries.
- Purpose: Help former Soviet republics access European and global markets by road, rail, and sea; support their political and economic independence.
- Major milestones: Baku Initiative (2004) and a Sofia ministerial conference (2006).

Membership and partnerships
- Current participants: 14 states. Iran joined in 2009, but EU sanctions have limited technical assistance since 2010.
- Observers: Mongolia (1996); Lithuania (2009); Greece (observer in 2018, granted later).
- Cooperation: TRACECA has signed memoranda with many international organizations and joined the eTIR system in July 2023.

Structure and leadership
- Secretariat: Established in 2000 in Baku; inaugurated in 2001 with Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and other officials.
- Secretary-General: The head of the Secretariat. First SG was Zviad Kvachantiradze (Georgia); current SG is Asset Assavbayev (since December 2019).

Working groups and projects
- Five working groups: maritime transport, aviation, road and rail, transport security, and transport infrastructure.
- Notable project: A new bridge to replace the historic Red Bridge, improving safety and trade links between Georgia and Azerbaijan.