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Press
Release..............................
UNESCAP News Services
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Date 6
May 2004
Press Release No: G/13/2004
RUSSIA, AZERBAIJAN SIGN ASIAN HIGHWAY AGREEMENT
Signing brings number of countries to 26
BANGKOK (UN Information Services) – The Russian
Federation and Azerbaijan have become the latest UNESCAP members
to sign the Asian Highway Agreement, bringing the total number
of signatories to 26.
The signings took place on 27 and 28 April 2004
in Shanghai, China as part of UNESCAP’s 60th Commission
Session.
Signing the Agreement for Russia was Mr. Yuri
Fedotov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and for Azerbaijan,
Mr. Yasar Tofiqi Aliyev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of Azerbaijan to China.
"Russia and Azerbaijan are important components
of the Asian Highway Network", said Mr. Kim Hak-Su, Executive
Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (UNESCAP).
In Russia the Asian Highway links Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, DPR Korea, Finland, Belarus and
Ukraine. In Azerbaijan, there are road links to neighbouring
Armenia, Georgia, Iran and the Russian Federation, as well as
sea links to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
India became the 24th signatory on 27 April 2004
following the signing of the Agreement by 23 member countries
at a signing ceremony on 26 April 2004 during the Ministerial
Segment of the 60th Commission Session. In India the Asian Highway
links Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan, as well as a
Sri Lanka by sea link. An AH link to Bhutan is under negotiation.
A total of 32 Asian countries are members of the
Asian Highway Network. Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan,
Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Republic
of Korea, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand,
Turkey, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam signed the Agreement in Shanghai.
The remaining six countries yet to sign the Agreement -Bangladesh,
DPR Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Turkmenistan
- have until 31 December 2005 to sign it at United Nations Headquarters
in New York.
The Asian Highway is a United Nations-backed push
to complete a 140,000 kilometre network of standardized roadways
criss-crossing the Asian continent and reaching to Europe. Asian
Highway-designated routes cover 17,000 kilometres in Russia,
1,500 kilometres in Azerbaijan, 26,000 kilometres in China,
11,000 kilometres in Iran, 13,000 kilometres in Kazakhstan and
11,400 kilometres in India.
UNESCAP officials estimate that 83 per cent of
the 140,000 kilometre network meets the agreed minimum highway
standards. An additional $16 billion in investment will be required
to upgrade 17 per cent of the network to the agreed AH standards
and signage.
More information on the Asian Highway Network
may be found at www.unescap.org/ttdw/index.asp?MenuName=AsianHighway
For more information, please contact:
United Nations Information Services Bangkok
Tel: (+66-2) 288-1861-66; Fax: (+66-2) 288-1052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org
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