In Astana, during the 18th annual meeting of the TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission, a series of documents were signed aimed at fostering the development of international road transport, streamlining transit procedures, and digitizing transport processes along the Europe–Caucasus–Asia route. A key outcome of the meeting was the signing of the Agreement on the TRACECA Single Transit Permit (STP) – a document that member states had been working on for several years. The agreement was signed by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
The new agreement provides for a transition from the use of multiple paper-based permits to a single electronic document. The TRACECA STP will be issued exclusively through a unified web portal and will be assigned a unique identification number and barcode. It is expected that the implementation of this system will reduce administrative burdens, expedite border crossings, and enhance the transparency of international transport operations. TRACECA representatives noted that this initiative aligns with one of the organization’s primary objectives: ensuring the free and unhindered transit of cargo throughout the corridor.
Furthermore, during the meeting, seven countries – Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine – signed a decision to amend the guidelines for the use of the TRACECA Multilateral Permit. This document grants carriers the right to conduct international bilateral and transit operations across the corridor countries without the need to obtain additional one-off permits. Meeting participants emphasized that the multilateral permit system remains one of the most vital instruments for fostering the development of international road transit and simplifying border crossings within the region.