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Midterm Review of the CAREC Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy
A midterm review of the CAREC Transport and Trade Strategy is underway. It aims to refine Strategy for effective implementation during the remaining period till 2017. The Strategy has the goal of developing an efficient regional transport network for optimal integration of the region internally and with the rest of the world. Read more>>

The CAREC region is at the heart of the rapidly growing and integrating Eurasian continent. CAREC countries are working together to improve the region's transport infrastructure and reduce the cost of trade across regions.

The CAREC Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy presents a shared vision of transport and trade facilitation development across the region to 2017, identifying three transport goals:

establish competitive transport corridors across the CAREC region;
facilitate efficient movement of people and goods across borders; and
develop safe, people-friendly transport systems.

The Strategy's Implementation Action Plan details both physical and nonphysical investments designed to improve the region's competitiveness, and expand trade—both among CAREC economies, regionally, and globally.

A midterm review of the strategy and action plan is under way, financed by an ADB technical assistance. The review will be conducted in two phases. In phase 1, a comprehensive stock-take will assess progress of the strategy and action plan (2008-2017). Based on the outcome of phase 1, the strategy will be updated in phase 2, by the end of 2013.

[Transport-related materials can be accessed at Senior Officials' Meetings and Transport Sector Coordinating Committee (TSCC) meetings.]

Creating CAREC Corridors

CAREC focuses investment and other activities on the development of six competitive transport corridors that link north, south, east, and west through the pivot of Central Asia. The corridors reflect trade flow patterns and will speed the movement of people and goods across the region. Critically, they also connect the mainly landlocked CAREC countries to wider regional and global networks.

Corridor 1:	Europe-East Asia	Corridor 4:	Russian Federation-East Asia
Corridor 2:	Mediterranean-East Asia	Corridor 5:	East Asia-Middle East and South Asia
Corridor 3:	Russian Federation-Middle East and South Asia	Corridor 6:	Europe-Middle East and South Asia

Key Goals of the CAREC Transport Sector

100% of corridors improved by 2017, compared with 64% in 2007;
Increased transit trade volume via the CAREC corridors to 5% of trade between Europe and East Asia by 2017, from less than 1% (about 34 million tons) in 2005;
Increased intraregional trade volume by 50% by 2017, from the 2005 level (about 32 million tons); and
Reduced time for border crossing along the CAREC corridors by 50% by 2012, and a further 30% by 2017, as compared with 2007.

Transport Sector Coordinating Committee

CAREC Corridors

CAREC Projects—Transport

Studies

Transport-related Events

CAREC Transport Documents

Transport Publications

Transport Results

About 3,970 km roads built or upgraded, and 3,400 km ongoing as of September 2012
About 3,190 km of railway lines completed and 2,500 km ongoing as of September 2012
A cross-border transport agreement ratified between the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan for CAREC Corridor 5
A total of 1,022 km of expressways or national highways built or upgraded in 2011- comparable with both 2009 and 2010-exceeding the 880 km target for the year
79% of the total length of CAREC corridors (24,000 km) classified as being in good condition by the end of 2011, beating the end-of-2012 target of 75%
Ongoing midterm review of the CAREC Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy