Sec.-Gen.: IRU aims to turn Middle Corridor into 'model corridor' - INTERVIEW

The Middle Corridor is one of the few routes in Eurasia where geopolitics, logistics, and the climate agenda converge today. Since 2022, interest in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route has grown sharply, but along with the opportunities, systemic limitations have also been revealed: fragmented regulations, congested borders, a lack of digital solutions, and rising costs for carriers.

Road transport plays a key role in this configuration, as the most flexible and adaptable element of multimodal supply chains. However, its potential along the Middle Corridor remains underutilized. This is where issues of transit facilitation, regulation harmonization, the introduction of electronic documents, and the elimination of border bottlenecks come to the fore.

In an interview with Report, IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto discussed the practical steps needed to transform the Middle Corridor into a sustainable and competitive route, the progress of digitalization in international road transport, and the role of the International Road Transport Union (IRU) in this process.

Report presents the interview:

- What initiatives and projects does IRU plan to propose to stimulate freight transport along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor)? What key barriers are currently hindering the growth of road transport along this route?

- Since 2022, many logistics actors have turned to the Middle Corridor as a viable alternative to traditional maritime routes.

However, we must join efforts to make transit seamless. Notably, we should address legal fragmentation, digitalisation (which will not work without improved interoperability along multimodal corridors), and the sustainability of supply chains.

We also need to focus on the Caspian Sea. Its shallowing is occurring at an alarming rate for the region's transport stability. Moreover, the Caspian Sea is also very susceptible to storms, which limits the potential and stability (resilience) of Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax lines.

Our vision is to turn the Middle Corridor into a ‘model corridor.'

To achieve this, we are working with governments along the route based on three guiding principles.

Simplification: Governments should review and streamline existing rules and regulations to eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens.

Digitalisation: Transport documents should be replaced with data exchange solutions to speed up processes, increase transparency, and reduce the number of required documents and the cost of storage.

Harmonisation: Regulations impacting cross-border commercial road transport should be standardised in a collaborative and coordinated way. This includes the ratification and full implementation of existing UN transport conventions.

We also need to address operational and institutional challenges, namely: visa procedures for professional drivers and inefficient border crossing operations.

Visa issuance is often slow, bureaucratic, and opaque, sometimes even discriminatory, as in the case where a female driver's visa was rejected because the authorities could not believe that a woman could drive a truck.

Solutions include issuing multi-entry visas, reducing and standardising required documents, introducing e-visas, and launching coordinated global action through institutions such as the International Labour Organization.

Our drivers are also being stranded for days, even weeks, at borders, resulting in economic losses, unnecessary emissions, and inhumane conditions. Using UN conventions, such as the TIR transit system, would significantly streamline border operations.

These bottlenecks place huge economic burdens on transport operators and national economies. The tools already exist. It is time to make the best use of them.

To stimulate freight transport along the Middle Corridor, IRU has been one of the key contributors and biggest supporters of the recent regional initiatives advancing digitalisation, specifically the "Roadmap for the Digitalisation of Multimodal Data and Document Exchange Along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, Using United Nations Legal Instruments and Standards", adopted at the United Nations Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia Summit in Azerbaijan in November 2023.

The roadmap sets ambitious targets for a five-year period and encourages governments and economic operators to start implementing eTIR and e-CMR based on the UN Trade Facilitation and e-Business international supply chain electronic data exchange standards.

The legal basis and technology already exist. Political will is all we need to get things moving.

The Azerbaijani government is committed to advancing the Middle Corridor as a model for sustainable, interconnected, digital, and resilient development. We worked very closely together for COP29 and look forward to continuing this cooperation, including during Azerbaijan's presidency of the 2026 ITF Summit.

- Can IRU act as a mediator or platform for dialogue between Azerbaijan and other countries of the region on issues of simplifying transit and improving the efficiency of transport flows?

- To simplify transit and improve the efficiency of transport flows, we do not need to reinvent the wheel but rather make good use of what has been effectively working for decades. IRU works with many governments and authorities to do this.

With internationally harmonised instruments and digitalisation tools, we can maximise transport and transit potential and help mitigate bottlenecks. Trade facilitation tools, such as TIR, were developed for exactly this purpose: to streamline border operations.

- How do you assess the level of cooperation between the countries of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the European Union in developing multimodal routes? What steps are needed to make these routes more competitive compared to traditional directions through Russia and Iran?

- Almost 20 years ago, IRU launched the New Eurasian Land Transport Initiative (NELTI).

The idea was to test the feasibility of China-EU road deliveries along northern, central (across the Caspian Sea, now the Middle Corridor), and southern routes.

While many politicians and businesses were sceptical about the project, it proved visionary, demonstrating how road transport corridors could connect major manufacturing and consumption regions via Central Asia.

These objectives remain equally relevant today, provided we can improve the complementarity of transport modes, speed up the transition to digital transport, transit, and commercial documents, and reduce transit times and costs along the entire routes, as well as at intermodal depots and transhipment points.

- What priorities does IRU see in the digitalisation of the sector? How is the implementation of electronic CMR (eCMR), TIR-EPD, and other digital tools progressing to simplify document flow and reduce border crossing times?

- Digitalisation is critical to further raising the efficiency, security, and transparency of transport operations. Unfortunately, progress has been slow on this front.

So far, 39 countries have joined e-CMR.

Beyond the number of countries that have joined e-CMR, adoption has been slow. Today, CMR covers around 280 million international road transport operations every year. However, e-CMR is used in less than 1% of operations.

e-CMR offers numerous benefits. It lowers administrative costs, does away with paper, speeds up invoicing, raises transparency and operational visibility, and complies with eFTI (the EU regulation to digitalise and standardise freight transport information).

e-CMR is being increasingly used in sectors such as automotive, chemicals, retail, and horticulture.

However, the lack of interoperability between e-CMR platforms remains one of the biggest barriers to wider adoption. e-CMR will only become scalable when shippers, freight forwarders, and transport operators can work across different e-CMR platforms. Until this hurdle is addressed, the logistics and road transport sectors will not be able to reap the full benefits of e-CMR.

Other challenges include translating e-CMR's legal and functional obligations into technical requirements for e-CMR platforms; uncertainty around the recognition of e-CMR by enforcement authorities and customs; the lack of clear and practical guidelines on digital signatures and user authentication; and the limited availability of reliable e-CMR platforms.

Despite these challenges, the applicability of e-CMR is vastly underestimated. Many manufacturers and shippers working with a small set of transport operators can benefit from e-CMR today, as they are not affected by the interoperability challenge.

For TIR-EPD, the TIR system's advanced cargo information system that allows customs to separate low- and high-risk cargo ahead of time, the story is different. TIR-EPD is being widely used across Asia, further elevating the benefits of the TIR system.

IRU has been working closely with its members and national authorities to promote the establishment of TIR Green Lanes. These dedicated lanes give priority to secure TIR vehicles at borders.

The industry has already seen notable progress – Turkmenistan has set up TIR Green Lanes at all major borders, while Kazakhstan has reactivated TIR Green Lanes at the Nur Zholy border with China.

All Central Asian countries, as well as Romania, Moldova, China, Mongolia, and Saudi Arabia, have implemented priority lanes or windows for TIR.

IRU encourages more countries to adopt these measures to improve border efficiency.

- What are IRU's forecasts regarding the recovery and stabilization of international road transport amid current geopolitical and economic challenges? Which development scenarios does IRU consider most likely?

- The continued shifts in global and regional supply chains have been affecting all countries in the region and beyond. They present new challenges, but also open new opportunities.

Responding to trade needs, road transport must constantly readjust to minimise and even prevent any losses engendered by these shifts, and to be ready to tap into new opportunities, notably opened by TIR uptake in new geographies. Road transport is like electricity; it follows the path of least resistance.

We must stay optimistic because road transport remains vital when it comes to creating regional integration and connectivity, especially for landlocked countries.

- In the context of rising operating costs (fuel prices, insurance rates, environmental requirements), what support mechanisms does IRU propose for small and medium-sized transport companies?

- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the road transport industry. SMEs account for over 85% of operators in most regions.

If national and regional authorities do not consider their razor-thin margins, policies and rising costs could have detrimental consequences for them and, by extension, the sector and economy as a whole.

Countries must reinforce their logistics foundations. Long-term competitiveness hinges on policy support: smarter infrastructure, streamlined cross-border access to qualified drivers, and harmonised rules. In a changing global landscape, success will depend on foresight and operational agility.

A good example is decarbonisation. SMEs in particular need enabling measures that are cost-efficient, feasible, and reflect their operational realities.

Key enablers include: Infrastructure – Accelerate the rollout of refuelling and recharging stations. Grid readiness - Ensure the grid can meet energy supply where needed. Financial support for SMEs – Most alternative fuel trucks, particularly hydrogen and electric, are more expensive than traditional diesel vehicles. Tailored financial support and help to derisk investment are essential. Operational flexibility –Allow higher payloads for zero-emission vehicles, ensuring these vehicles can compete fairly. Technology neutrality – Support a mix of zero and low-emission solutions, including electricity, hydrogen, and renewable fuels, to reflect the sector's diverse operational needs.

- How does IRU cooperate with governments and the private sector to improve border crossing conditions, increase capacity, and reduce delays on key transit routes?

- IRU works together with a global community of members as well as governments and international organisations to help people and goods move better.

IRU ensures that the road transport industry has a strong voice, a global resonance, and a coherent message.

We help our members to achieve their most ambitious goals, and we work to make the sector fair, competitive, and responsible.

Very often, everyone talks about financing hard infrastructure, which costs billions, but no one mentions soft measures, which, in relative terms, cost next to nothing yet deliver huge, immediate benefits.

TIR is undoubtedly the best example here. Established more than 75 years ago, it is widely recognised as the oldest continuously operational public/private partnership in the entire UN system.

TIR has proven to reduce border transit times by up to 92%, lower transport costs by up to 50%, and cut CO₂ emissions in border-crossing zones by up to 90%.

It is important to couple hard infrastructure investments with advanced cross-border facilitation, including the implementation of sophisticated digital customs and transit systems, and the development of express TIR Green Lanes at key border crossings.

Cumbersome and redundant procedures increase transport costs exponentially. Reducing non-tariff barriers is key to bolstering economies. Central Asia's road freight volumes grew by 60%, and Europe's by 68%, following accession to TIR.

- What key goals and areas of work has IRU identified for the next 3-5 years in the Eurasian region, given the growing role of the Middle Corridor and the intensification of regional partnerships?

- IRU is the trusted voice for mobility and logistics. In the Eurasian region, as well as in the rest of the world, at the heart of what IRU is doing are people, prosperity, and environment.

Eurasia is an important region for IRU and its members to advocate for and advance change in the industry to make road transport even more efficient, especially for crossing borders, attracting more professional drivers into the sector, and helping the industry decarbonise.

With nearly eight decades of experience, IRU is the global expert in facilitating border crossing. In Eurasia, we open up economies, transform landlocked countries into land-linked ones, and promote modal cooperation through enhanced connectivity, digitalisation of corridors, and smooth transit under internationally recognised instruments.

Drivers are our heroes. But the chronic shortage of professional truck drivers is one of the most serious challenges facing the road transport industry. Shortages are affecting goods transport operations across the region and beyond, harming logistics supply chains.

At the same time, despite often very difficult conditions, drivers remain deeply attached to their profession, and most of them are satisfied. But they expect more recognition and better working conditions.

The professionalisation of the road transport sector helps enhance the image of the driver profession. IRU and its members have teamed up with interested governments and development partners to establish formalisation frameworks, strengthen training capacity, and raise professional qualification standards, helping to further advance the efficiency of transport operations along key routes and close gaps in the knowledge and skills of drivers.

Visa procedures for professional drivers and tough migration policies, as well as inefficient border crossing operations, are another hurdle. Visa issuance is often slow, bureaucratic, and opaque, sometimes even discriminatory.

International drivers, notably those performing TIR operations, are sometimes treated as ordinary migrants, without taking into account that they constitute a special professional subgroup requiring visas or extended periods of stay to support trade in a well-regulated environment. At key border crossings, drivers are often stranded for days, even weeks, resulting in economic losses, unnecessary emissions, and difficult conditions.

Finally, regarding decarbonisation, IRU's Green Compact is a collective global roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality in commercial road transport by 2050.

Many Eurasian countries have net-zero targets, generally for 2050 or 2060. To decarbonise while continuing to effectively meet growing transport demand, the focus should be on efficiency measures, and, in parallel, there must be a longer-term strategy of incorporating alternative fuels, which is largely dictated by the availability of the required infrastructure. Pragmatic efficiency measures, like longer vehicles, better route optimisation, and driver training, prove that being more efficient means greener.

With the right enabling environment, legislation, and incentives, the road transport industry can already reduce its carbon footprint by 50%. Also, real transport operations show that streamlining border crossings using the TIR system reduces the carbon emissions of a cross-border journey by up to 30%. The IRU Green Compact is based on regional flexibility in terms of evidence gathering, testing, and scaling up of solutions, so solutions for Eurasia will not necessarily be the same as other regions.

IRU is committed to working closely with its members, national governments, and regional organisations to support these initiatives to develop sustainable trade, transport, and transit connectivity.

- Recently, an IRU delegation visited three key Iranian border crossings – on the borders with Azerbaijan and Türkiye. What main conclusions were drawn from the assessment of infrastructure and customs procedures? What "bottlenecks" or barriers at the border crossings were identified?

- The visits – Türkiye and Azerbaijan – Bazargan (Iran–Türkiye), Astara (Iran–Azerbaijan), and Bilehsavar (Iran–Azerbaijan) – focused on evaluating current infrastructure and customs procedures to identify potential areas for improvement through the tried-and-tested TIR system.

During the visits, customs authorities, the Road Maintenance and Transport Organisation, local chambers of commerce, and local transport associations highlighted the significant security and efficiency benefits of TIR – supporting its expansion.

One of the main issues we identified is the low level of acceptance of trucks from neighbouring countries, which has created congestion at borders. The borders have the potential to increase traffic if they apply risk management tools and distinguish between low- and high-risk transports. TIR is a highly secure system supported by electronic pre-declaration (TIR-EPD) and could facilitate border crossings. Under TIR, all customs formalities are performed at departure and destination. Customs does not need to physically control goods at borders. If TIR provisions are fully implemented, border-crossing volumes could be easily increased.

During the visit to these borders, the participants agreed to prioritise TIR, including by establishing TIR Green Lanes to enable TIR trucks to cross borders even more efficiently. They also decided to facilitate operators' access to TIR, including by distributing TIR carnets at border crossings. We also identified challenges in TIR implementation and agreed to arrange capacity-building activities for relevant stakeholders through our TIR associations and their local branches.

- During these meetings, the parties agreed to establish "green corridors" for road transport. On what principles will their operation be based – priority processing, digitalisation, advance notification systems, dedicated traffic lanes, etc.?

- One of the recommendations of international conventions, such as the Harmonisation Convention, is that transport under international transit systems such as TIR should be prioritised.

Establishing green lanes for goods moving under TIR, which is the only global transit system and supported by electronic tools sending advance cargo information and providing high security to customs, could make the north-south and east-west corridors more efficient.

However, to double the efficiency of the border crossing, such green lanes should be established on both sides of the border. That's why we recommend that Azerbaijan and Türkiye do the same from their side to benefit from such a secure facilitation tool.

- What measures are planned to simplify access for international road carriers to Iran's transport system and to increase transparency of procedures for foreign operators?

- One of the facilitation measures we identified in Iran is the establishment of an e-queuing system. Under this system, any driver can book their place before arriving at the border. This is a great tool that has significantly reduced congestion at borders, and the driver knows in advance when they should go to the border, avoiding long queues.

This system has also reduced the stress on border agencies, such as customs and road transport authorities, as well as on the local community, as congestion at the border is manageable.

To enhance the efficiency of the system, we are working with the relevant authorities to ensure that TIR transports are also prioritised along with perishable foodstuffs and dangerous goods.

We also observed that Iran has established large secure parking areas equipped with the necessary facilities at the borders, where drivers can rest before they are called to cross.

In fact, the main challenge is the number of border crossings, which requires support from both neighbouring countries to coordinate and cooperate to ensure that the maximum number of trucks can cross the border each day. Today, the statistics are not satisfactory, and the potential is much higher.

- How does IRU promote the transition of international road carriers toward more sustainable models – reducing carbon footprints, introducing alternative fuels, and improving transport energy efficiency?

- The environment has been one of IRU's core focus areas for many years.

As a commitment to address the decarbonisation challenge, IRU launched the Green Compact in 2021 to investigate solutions and design pragmatic roadmaps to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

It outlines a clear, pragmatic, and holistic roadmap for the industry to meet global decarbonisation targets while continuing to provide transport services for the people, communities, and economies that depend on them.

In unanimously adopting the Green Compact, IRU members made a historic commitment – in cooperation with regulators, suppliers, and clients – to address the enormous challenges in decarbonising commercial road transport.

Empowering energy efficiency and transitioning towards cleaner fuels are needed to reach carbon neutrality. Green Compact research demonstrates that there is no one-size-fits-all technological approach for all countries and regions.

Decarbonisation is a local challenge with global repercussions. Countries and regions have vastly different transport, energy, and economic landscapes.

The specific mix of different solutions that will help advance one country's road transport sector to carbon neutrality will not work in another.

The Green Compact is built on regional flexibility in terms of gathering evidence as well as testing and scaling of solutions.

- Does IRU consider participating in shaping a pan-Eurasian agenda on "green transport," with a focus on climate standards, digital solutions, and sustainable logistics?

- Resilient and sustainable connectivity needs a resilient and sustainable road transport sector, and this is at the heart of IRU's support to advance the industry around the world. IRU has come a long way since 1948, from helping to reignite Europe's trade links in the late 1940s to today's work on global and regional issues.

We have worked in Eurasia for many decades, with our members and governments to address major transport issues, including cross-border market access, harmonising rules and procedures, vehicle automation, and decarbonisation.

IRU's involvement in COP29 in Baku and contributions to a joint communique, agreed by transport ministers, highlighted that, in addition to hard infrastructure needs, digital connectivity will raise the development of corridors to the next level.

IRU worked particularly closely with the Azeri Ministry of Transport in the run-up to COP29 to launch a regional initiative to make the Middle Corridor a model for sustainable, interconnected, digital, and resilient development.

IRU, in fact, has been a leader in sustainability efforts for many years. We established the first sustainable development charter of any global transport organisation nearly 30 years ago. I am proud that IRU, the global voice of commercial road transport, first proposed a global day to recognise the crucial role that sustainable transport plays in our lives. The respective Resolution passed through the UN General Assembly and was supported by all member states.

That day is 26 November, which we will celebrate very soon. This new day is a special opportunity for everyone to stop, reflect, and recognise just how transport – and road transport in particular – is crucial for a sustainable planet.

But we still have a lot to do to achieve our goals. IRU looks forward to playing an active role, working together with governments, in the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport.