On October 23, 2008, the round table on developing NELTI Central Route held in Baku with the participation of the representatives of the Ministry of Transport and the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, international auto carriers from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan, such international organizations as GUAM, IRU, ТRASЕCА. The participants discussed the prospects of the implementation of NELTI Project Central Route underlining especially a role of sea ferries in its successful realization. The necessity of coordinating efforts of all interested parties in steady elimination of administrative barriers in crossing borders for auto carriers and development of sea auto ferries on the Caspian and Black seas was marked. It referred, in particular, to:
- the planning of sea ferries development taking into account future growth of volumes of transportation through the route China – Central Asia – Caucasus – Europe;
- the reservation of quotas for the vehicles involved in transportation through the NELTI Central Route;
- the communication of actual schedules and tariffs to the organizers and participants of this project;
- a more active involvement of the Chinese business as well as forwarding companies participating in organization of schemes of delivery of goods between China and Europe.