Tim Corbin
Building Shared Prosperity on Transport Corridors: Landmark IRF Regional Congress Opens in Istanbul
September 15, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ISTANBUL — Transport Undersecretary Talat Aydın, General Director of Highways Ismail Kartal, World Bank Regional Manager Juan Gaviria and IRF President & CEO C. Patrick Sankey are among the notable speakers formally opening today the 1st IRF Europe & Central Asia Regional Congress, a summit for road and transportation professionals, which runs through September 18. More than 500 participants from 53 countries are expected to attend the IRF’s landmark event in Istanbul, Turkey.
The 1st IRF Europe & Central Asia Regional Congress is articulated around policy roundtables and technical sessions developed in partnership with a network of 12 partner organizations, representing all major transportation stakeholders in Turkey and the region. Additional support from Turkey’s leading industry and business associations reflect the deep connections between a modern, interconnected network of highways and Turkey’s economic development goals. According to Dr. Bahadir Kaleagasi, international coordinator of TUSIAD and congress keynote speaker, “The increasing velocity of technological innovation results in faster, safer and more energy efficient mobility around the globe. This new era offers significant challenges and opportunities for companies doing business in and with Turkey, a country at the crossroads of Eurasia both geo-strategically and economically.”
Highlighted issues addressed during the congress include regional connectivity investments and trade facilitation programs, as well as measures to improve highway program delivery, strengthen regional capacity and tackle rising road traffic injuries ahead of the formal mid-term review of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
“Our host country, Turkey, is a remarkable example of this drive towards greater connectivity, with unprecedented effort to develop and modernize its transport infrastructure by 2023,” noted Mr. Sankey in his opening address. “As president of the G20, Turkey is also in a position to emphasize the critical value of coordinated infrastructure investment programs.”
The 1st IRF Europe & Central Asia Regional Congress & Exhibition runs September 15-18, 2015. Live updates are available from the IRF’s social media channels, including @IRFhq on Twitter, using the hashtag #IRFECA.
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ABOUT THE IRF: The International Road Federation, founded in 1948, is a not-for-profit, non-political organization with the mission to encourage and promote development and maintenance of better, safer and more sustainable roads and road networks. With a network in 117 countries across six continents, the IRF believes it can make a difference by providing best practices and expert advice to today’s multi-faceted world of transport.
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