The first ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport was held at the UN headquarters under the chairmanship of Turkmenistan on April 16.

The meeting was attended by the Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the UN Aksoltan Atayeva, Chairman of the Turkmendenizellary Agency Batyr Annayev, heads of transport departments, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions to the UN of the Group member countries, UN Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) Li Junhua , Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Road Safety Jean Todt, Secretary General of the SLOCAT Partnership for Sustainable Low Carbon Transport Marusha Kardama, President of the Turkic Investment Fund Baghdad Amreev, Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport, Honorary Chairman of the International Road Transport Union Martin Marmy, Executive Secretary International Center for Transport Diplomacy (ICTD) Igor Runov. Permanent missions from among the co-authors of UN General Assembly resolutions on transport issues, representatives of research institutes and academic circles were invited to the meeting.

The speakers informed about the goals, objectives and activities of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport, created on the initiative of Turkmenistan. Having placed special emphasis on the importance of building sustainable transport systems at the global and regional levels, the need to consolidate efforts in preparation for the UN Decade on Sustainable Transport (2026-2035), the meeting participants agreed that using the potential of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport will have a positive impact on timely developing mutually acceptable multilateral approaches in the field of transport as a key factor in development and cooperation at all levels. In addition, the event participants were familiarized in detail with the main directions and practical steps in the implementation of the Transport Diplomacy Development Program of the President of Turkmenistan for 2022-2025.

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the Turkmendenizderyayollary Agency Batyr Annaev called for a transition to energy-efficient and environmentally friendly modes of transport, stimulation of public transport, and development of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.

At the same time, he drew attention to several key aspects: the importance of the transition to electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, the development of public transport based on alternative energy sources, reducing emissions and pollution through improved logistics and the use of modern technologies.

He proposed jointly developing specific strategies aimed at transitioning to sustainable transport, supporting innovation and investment in this area, and actively collaborating with other countries to achieve common goals.

As part of the meeting, the inaugural session of the Advisory Council of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport, formed in 2023, took place. Chairman of the Council Martin Marmy outlined the areas of activity of the Council and shared plans to involve the business community in joint work with the Group of Friends and building effective public-private interaction in this regard.

As a result of the Ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport, a Final Declaration was adopted, which forms the legal basis for the activities of the Group and defines the goals, format and methods of functioning of this association.

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