Armenia Presents Crossroads of Peace Project at Global Gateway Forum in Brussels

BRUSSELS — Armenia has presented its Crossroads of Peace project at the Global Gateway Investors Forum in Brussels.

The project was presented by Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Armen Simonyan at the forum’s South Caucasus and Turkey: the strong connectivity link between Central Asia and Europe panel discussion.

Simonyan highlighted that the main principle of Crossroads of Peace is that all infrastructures will function under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass.

“The latest geopolitical developments proved that the diversification of transport routes is a vital necessity for the continuity of supplying goods to regional markets,” the Armenian official said.

He added that Armenia estimates the project to ensure 4,7 million tons of cargo and 300,000 passenger transportation through regional countries during the first year of operation of Crossroads of Peace. By 2050 the volume of goods transported through regional countries by Armenian railway infrastructures will reach 10 million tons.

Simonyan then held meetings with his counterparts from various countries.

The Investors Forum takes forward the conclusions of the EU-commissioned Study on Sustainable Transport Corridors between the EU and Central Asia, and aims to translate the political commitments of the EU and the five countries in Central Asia to enhance and reinforce connectivity into tangible operational deliverables.

The Forum contributes to the long-term objective of making the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor a multimodal, modern, competitive, sustainable, predictable, smart and fast route linking Europe and Central Asia in 15 days or less. For this, the Forum aims to:

• send a strong and concrete signal to the five Central Asian countries of the EU’s political and operational commitment to strengthen connectivity with the region through the Global Gateway initiative
• kick-start the process for implementing and coordinating investments along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor by following up on specific actions identified in the Study, notably by mobilising investors on  projects, with concrete and realistic timelines and financial commitments
• commit key stakeholders for continued participation in the Forum as the main platform for implementing the projects identified in the Study

The event brings together high-level representatives from Central Asian countries, EU Member States, partner countries along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, EU Institutions, international and bilateral financial institutions, as well as representatives of the private sector and members of civil society.

The Crossroads of Peace project is designed to establish connections between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea via a consolidated, regional railway network and via the North-South and East-West roads.

The Crossroads of Peace project is about creating new infrastructures or improving the scope and quality of the existing ones.