TRACECA (
acronym
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in '' NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, a ...
: Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) is an international
transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipel ...
programme involving the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
and 12 member states of the Eastern European, Caucasus and Central Asian region.
["TRACECA Member Countries"]
Traceca.org, accessed 30 January 2017 The programme aim is to strengthen economic relations, trade and transport in the regions of the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, ...
basin, South Caucasus and Central Asia. It has a permanent Secretariat, originally financed by the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
, in
Baku, Azerbaijan, and a regional office in
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrat ...
, Ukraine. Since 2009, the organization has been entirely financed by member countries.
Origins
TRACECA was established in May 1993 in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, upon the signing of a Multilateral Agreement on International Transport for the development of transport initiatives (including the establishment and development of a road corridor) between the
EU member states
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
,
Eastern European
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
,
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
and
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the former ...
n countries. The programme supports the political and economic independence of
former Soviet Union
The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...
republics through enhancing their access to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
an and global markets through road, rail and sea.
The objectives of TRACECA were underlined by the
Baku Initiative of 2004, followed by a further ministerial conference in
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. ...
, Bulgaria, in 2006.
Membership

The following states currently participate in the TRACECA program:
[
Iran officially joined TRACECA in 2009 after their request was accepted during a meeting held in Brussels. However, technical assistance related to the project has not been provided to Iran since 2010 due to EU sanctions.
In 1996, ]Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 millio ...
was granted observer status.
In 2009, Lithuania was granted observer status.
In July 2016, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
announced they are considering joining TRACECA activities as an observer. In March 2018, Greece was granted observer status during a meeting held in Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and ...
.
Secretary-General
The Permanent Secretariat of TRACECA was established in March 2000 in Baku, and inaugurated on February 21, 2001 with the participation of the then President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Alirza oghlu Aliyev ( az, Һејдәр Әлирза оғлу Әлијев, italic=no, Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev, ; , ; 10 May 1923 – 12 December 2003) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani politician who served as the third president of Azer ...
, together with Javier Solana, Christopher Patten, Anna Lind. The Secretary-General is a chief executive officer of the Permanent Secretariat. The first Secretary-General elected by the Intergovernmental Commission was a representative of Georgia, ambassador Zviad Kvachantiradze.
The current Secretary-General is Mircea Ciopraga, appointed by the Intergovernmental Commission in January 2015.
Projects
TRACECA has five working groups: maritime transport, aviation, road and rail, transport security, and transport infrastructure. Amongst its specific projects, was the creation of a new bridge to replace and protect the heritage Red Bridge, located between Georgia and Azerbaijan.European and Caucasian transport specialists discuss the prospects of cooperation
Armenpress, 19 November 2012, accessed 30 January 2017
See also
*
Baku Initiative
*
Eastern Partnership
The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a joint initiative of the European External Action Service of the European Union (EU) together with the EU, its member states, and six Eastern European partners governing the EU's relationship with the post-So ...
*
Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly is the inter-parliamentary forum in which members of the European Parliament and the national parliaments of Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia participate and forge closer political and economic ...
*
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, economic, political, legal, social, and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integration has primarily come about through the European Union and its ...
*
Trans-European Transport Networks
The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is a planned network of roads, railways, airports and water infrastructure in the European Union. The TEN-T network is part of a wider system of Trans-European Networks (TENs), including a telecommu ...
*
Transport in Europe
Transport in Europe provides for the movement needs of over 700 million people and associated freight.
Overview
The political geography of Europe divides the continent into over 50 sovereign states and territories. This fragmentation, along ...
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Traceca
Transport and the European Union
Transport in Bulgaria
Transport in Azerbaijan
Transport in Armenia
Transport in Iran
Transport in Georgia (country)
Transport in Kazakhstan
Transport in Kyrgyzstan
Transport in Moldova
Transport in Tajikistan
Transport in Uzbekistan
Transport in Romania
Transport in Turkey
Transport in Turkmenistan
Transport in Ukraine
European Commission projects