Askar Mamin
Minister of Transport
and Communications,
Republic of Kazakhstan |
"I wholeheartedly
wish a good trip to all participants in this remarkable Caravan"
Kazakhstan, located as it is in the
centre of the Euro-Asian subcontinent, is at the present time
working actively to develop its transport infrastructure, improve
its highway network and provide the necessary conditions or the
development of transit traffic.
The New Euro-Asian Transport
Initiative (NELTI) project worked out on the initiative of the
International Road Transport Carriers' Union of Kazakhstan
corresponds to the idea of our Head of State concerning the common
interests of the Euro-Asian countries, and represents the practical
realization of the UN Almaty Action Program of 2003 and the
Resolution of the 5th International Conference
TRANSEURO-ASIA 2004.
It is not by mere chance that
Beijing, the Chinese capital, has been chosen as the venue for the
3rd IRU Euro-Asian Road Transport Conference. The theme of the
conference, "Road Transport: bridging Asia and Europe", emphasizes
the importance that the world community attaches to the
creation of a land transport corridor between China and Europe. This
is associated with the fact that South-East Asian countries, and
especially China, have in recent years been demonstrating
exceptionally high rates of economic development. Today, China is
the world's third largest importer and fourth largest exporter of
commodities.
The present project is of special
significance for the Republic of Kazakhstan, because the new
transport corridor crossing the territory of our country facilitates
an intensive development of our national transport infrastructure.
I am confident that this unique trip
will demonstrate the economic benefits that are offered by freight
deliveries by road between East and West.
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