Regional : South Caucasus Gateways
The proposed regional knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) will facilitate the development of a regional cooperation approach to unleash the economic potential of the South Caucasus regioncomprising of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgiain the new realm of reopening gateways agreed in the 2020 Armenia-Azerbaijan Ceasefire Agreement. The South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Approach (SCRCA) will assess the benefits of economic cooperation within and beyond the region, amidst political uncertainties. The approach will provide options to identify and optimize international and domestic gateways and provide a roadmap for the region to regain its historical significance for trade and transit especially with Central West Asia and as a bridge to Europe. Blocked historical transport routes because of divided land and closed border crossing points result in high costs for trade, reducing the competitiveness of the region's exports.
Project Details
-
Project Officer
Rosbach, Kristian
Central and West Asia Department
Request for information -
Country/Economy
Regional -
Sector
- Transport
| Project Name | South Caucasus Gateways | ||||
| Project Number | 55118-001 | ||||
| Country / Economy | Regional Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia |
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| Project Status | Active | ||||
| Project Type / Modality of Assistance | Technical Assistance |
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| Source of Funding / Amount |
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| Operational Priorities | OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality OP5: Promoting rural development and food security OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity OP7: Fostering regional cooperation and integration |
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| Sector / Subsector |
Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agro-industry, marketing, and trade Industry and trade / Industry and trade sector development - Trade and services Transport / Multimodal logistics - Transport policies and institutional development |
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| Gender | Some gender elements | ||||
| Description | The proposed regional knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) will facilitate the development of a regional cooperation approach to unleash the economic potential of the South Caucasus regioncomprising of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgiain the new realm of reopening gateways agreed in the 2020 Armenia-Azerbaijan Ceasefire Agreement. The South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Approach (SCRCA) will assess the benefits of economic cooperation within and beyond the region, amidst political uncertainties. The approach will provide options to identify and optimize international and domestic gateways and provide a roadmap for the region to regain its historical significance for trade and transit especially with Central West Asia and as a bridge to Europe. Blocked historical transport routes because of divided land and closed border crossing points result in high costs for trade, reducing the competitiveness of the region's exports. New gateways can yield considerable economic benefits for the region and hence support the political peacebuilding process. | ||||
| Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy | Each country of the South Caucasus region claims its role as a transport hub between Asia and Europe. To realize this potential, however, the countries' cooperation among each other is a precondition. South Caucasus gateways are competing with other transport routes and only the fastest and least expensive routes will attract significant transport flows. All three countries have made significant efforts to improve soft and hard trade infrastructureincluding investments to reduce travel time and facilitate tradeand align with international integration initiatives. The region would benefit from improved connections. The SCRCA will aim to leverage the region's investments, trade facilitation efforts, and significance in interregional transport gateways to provide transport and trade options that benefit Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The approach will be sensitive to political realities, consider the status of existing transport infrastructure, help maximize benefits from trade agreements, support the diversification of exports through lower transport costs, and enhance value added in the region. The approach will also assess new tourism opportunities through re-opened gateways within the region and with neighboring countries. | ||||
| Impact | Understanding and commitment of Caucasus countries with a shared vision for the South Caucasus Gateway improved |
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| Project Outcome | |
|---|---|
| Description of Outcome | Trade among Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and their neighbors increased |
| Progress Toward Outcome | |
| Implementation Progress | |
| Description of Project Outputs | Potential for trade, transit, regional value chains and free trade agreements within political economy considerations assessed South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Approach developed |
| Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues) | |
| Geographical Location | Armenia - Nation-wide; Azerbaijan - Nation-wide; Georgia - Nation-wide |
| Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects | |
|---|---|
| Environmental Aspects | |
| Involuntary Resettlement | |
| Indigenous Peoples | |
| Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation | |
| During Project Design | |
| During Project Implementation | |
| Business Opportunities | |
|---|---|
| Consulting Services | A total of 25 person-months of individual consulting services (up to 8 international consultants for 15 person-months and up to 9 national consultants for 10 person-months) will be provided using mostly lumpsum/output-based contracts. |
| Responsible ADB Officer | Rosbach, Kristian |
| Responsible ADB Department | Central and West Asia Department |
| Responsible ADB Division | Regional Cooperation and Integration Unit, CWRD (CWRC) |
| Executing Agencies |
Asian Development Bank |
| Timetable | |
|---|---|
| Concept Clearance | 18 Jun 2021 |
| Fact Finding | - |
| MRM | - |
| Approval | 11 Oct 2021 |
| Last Review Mission | - |
| Last PDS Update | 11 Oct 2021 |
TA 6800-REG
| Milestones | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approval | Signing Date | Effectivity Date | Closing | ||
| Original | Revised | Actual | |||
| 11 Oct 2021 | - | 11 Oct 2021 | 31 Dec 2023 | 31 Dec 2024 | - |
| Financing Plan/TA Utilization | Cumulative Disbursements | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADB | Cofinancing | Counterpart | Total | Date | Amount | |||
| Gov | Beneficiaries | Project Sponsor | Others | |||||
| 750,000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 750,000.00 | 28 Nov 2023 | 512,312.27 |
Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.
The Access to Information Policy (AIP) recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.
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| Title | Document Type | Document Date |
|---|---|---|
| South Caucasus Gateways: Technical Assistance Report | Technical Assistance Reports | Oct 2021 |
Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.
None currently available.
Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation
None currently available.
Related Publications
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Tenders
| Tender Title | Type | Status | Posting Date | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport Specialist (ARM) | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Logistics Network Modeler | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Transport Specialist (GEO) | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Transport Specialist (AZE) | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Transport Specialist (Team Leader) | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Transport Economist | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Rail Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Modeling/Forecasting Specialist | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Highway Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Aviation Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Economist (Georgia) | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Economist (Armenia) | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Economist (Azerbaijan) | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Regional Agro-Food Value-Chain Assessment | Individual - Consulting | Closed | ||
| Political Economy Assessment | Individual - Consulting | Closed |
Contracts Awarded
Procurement Plan
None currently available.