ArmInfo.Sevak Sarukhanyan, Director at the Directorate of Digital Initiatives of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), participated in the panel session titled Digital Transformation of Transport: Key Trends and Synergetic Effect at the 11th Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum, held under the auspices of ESCAP in Samarkand from 2 to 5 April 2024, the EDB Media Centre reports.
According to the source, this side event served as a platform for businesses and international organisations to deliberate on modern facets of transport and logistics in global trade.
The session was opened by Arzybek Kozhoshev, Member of the Board and Minister in charge of Energy and Infrastructure at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), and Sohail Khan, Deputy Secretary General at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Panellists exchanged insights into the main trends shaping a seamless transport space across the Eurasian continent and pinpointed key factors constraining digitalisation in the transport sector. "Partnerships between international organisations and associations geared towards advancing the integration of digital transport systems enable the gradual formation of a seamless transport space within Greater Eurasia, while also upholding the principles of sovereignty and respect for national interests," said Arzybek Kozhoshev.
Speakers at the event included representatives from the EDB, the CIS Executive Committee, the IRU General Delegate to Eurasia, the Digital Transport Centre at Uzbekistan's Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan and UTLC ERA, among others. Sevak Sarukhanyan underscored the Bank's commitment to supporting digital services and initiatives aimed at significantly reducing time and financial transactions within the East-West corridor. "The Eurasian Development Bank has endorsed support for the establishment of a digital transport corridor connecting the main centres of economic activity in Eurasia as one of its strategic activities until 2026," he said.
He added that the Bank actively collaborates with authorities in the region's countries to promote regulatory changes that would facilitate the transition to seamless logistics, including a crucial component - the transition to electronic shipping documents.
The panel session, held on the sidelines of the ESCAP forum, was organised by the ECE Transport Unit in partnership with the ESCAP Secretariat, with support from the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.
Additional Information:
The EDB Fund for Digital Initiatives was established in June 2020. Its objective is to assist the EDB member states in creating digital transformation tools and practices by integrating their information resources and participating in the development and financing of projects. The Fund's flagship project is the COVID-19-Free Travel mobile app used in nine CIS countries. The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is an international financial institution promoting integration and development in its member countries. For more than 18 years, the Bank has worked to strengthen and expand economic ties and foster comprehensive development in its member countries. The EDB's charter capital totals US $7 billion. Its portfolio consists principally of projects with an integration effect in transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, manufacturing and mechanical engineering. The Bank adheres to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles in its operations.
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