RUSSIA, AZERBAIJAN SIGN ASIAN HIGHWAY AGREEMENT

RUSSIA, AZERBAIJAN SIGN ASIAN HIGHWAY AGREEMENT

(Reissued as received.)

BANGKOK, 6 May (UN Information Service) -- The Russian Federation and Azerbaijan have become the latest members of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) 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 the sixtieth session of ESCAP.

Signing the Agreement for Russia was Yuri Fedotov, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, and for Azerbaijan, Yasar Tofiqi Aliyev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to China.

"Russia and Azerbaijan are important components of the Asian Highway Network", said Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of ESCAP.

In Russia, the Asian Highway links Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Democratic People’s Republic of 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 twenty-fourth 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 sixtieth Commission session.  In India, the Asian Highway links Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan, as well as 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 People's Democratic Republic, 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, Democratic People’s Republic of 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.

ESCAP 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:  UN Information Services Bangkok, tel:  (+66-2) 288-1861-66; fax: (+66-2) 288-1052, e-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

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