DUSHANBE, September 18, 2009, Asia-Plus — The European Union funded project “Development of Equipment Certification Centers for the Transportation of Perishable Goods in Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan within the frame of the ATP Agreement,” according to press release issued by the delegation of European Commission in Tajikistan.
ATP Project)is successfully completing an important phase of its work. During the spring 2009 the ATP project opened two expert laboratories for the certification of road vehicles for perishable goods transportation in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the same event is now going to take place in the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.
The first ATP Expert Laboratory of Tajikistan, located in the Logistic Center of Tursunzoda was opened on September 18.
The ATP project, funded by the EU with a budget of 2 million euros, started in July 2007 to enhance the capabilities of Central Asian countries in the implementation and application of the “Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be used for such Carriage” (ATP Agreement). This agreement defines the technical requirements for the refrigeration trucks used for the transportation of perishable food products. This international agreement went into force in 1970 and since then 45 countries became members, including two in Central Asia – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. With the assistance of the project Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are in the process of ratifying the agreement. The main objective of the agreement is to insure that perishable goods are transported by road and rail vehicles, capable to maintain the required temperatures during the whole length of the transportation. This is possible only if vehicles are equipped with proper cooling units (refrigerators or other cooling agents) and have a sufficiently insulated body.
During the timeframe of the ATP Project, the team of the EU experts together with the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Tajikistan completed the analysis of the transportation market for the carriage of perishable products, assessed the legal regulation of perishable goods transportation, identified main non-physical barriers for the transportation of perishable goods, conducted training sessions for the ATP experts, and identified and supplied the required equipment for the ATP Laboratory.
The official opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Government of Tajikistan, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.
Representatives from the State Road Inspection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Custom Service, the Scientific Research Institute Naqliyot of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Agency for Standardization, Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection, the Phytosanitary Control Service and Quarantine of Plants and Seeds of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Main Directorate of Border Troops, as well as the Tursunzoda mayor, directors of the Transport Association ABBAT and of the Tursunzoda Logistic Center also participated to this important event. Finally, representatives of the following international institutions were present: the European Commission, the Regional USAID Project, as well as the EU Traceca Project Team members.
The opening ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Transport and Communications Abdurahim Ashour.
