Armenia to Join Ashgabat Agreement

The government of Armenia approved the draft law on ratifying the memorandum of understanding regarding the implementation of the "Agreement on the Establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridors between the Governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan" known as the Ashgabat Agreement.

This draft decision is included in the list of undiscussed issues of the executive’s session on May 8. The justification for the decision states: "Joining the agreement on the establishment of international transport and transit corridors between the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan (hereinafter referred to as the Ashgabat Agreement) will create new opportunities for integration between Central Asian countries and the transportation corridors of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea ports, utilizing the transport and transit potential of member states."

Joining the Ashgabat Agreement will contribute to the establishment of reliable conditions for the transportation and transit of goods and passengers through the territories of member states, facilitate multimodal transportation, optimize transport costs, enhance the transit role of the republic, improve transport security, and create equal conditions for transport organizations of member states.

This agreement will ensure access to international markets through the transport corridor, harmonize the transit documents necessary for international transportation, simplify customs procedures, and allow member states to utilize transport infrastructures on a non-discriminatory basis.

The agreement will enable the regulation of logistics for the different modes of transport among the countries that are parties to the agreement and will also promote mutually beneficial economic and business ties between the countries, expanding cooperation and enhancing the transit role of the Republic of Armenia.