Azerbaijan’s ITF presidency sees accession of Panama, Ghana, and Peru to International Transport Forum
The Annual Summit of the International Transport Forum (ITF) in Leipzig, Germany, held under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship, saw the accession of three new member states—Panama, Ghana, and Peru—to the ITF.
The relevant decision was adopted during the 18th Meeting of the ITF Council of Ministers of Transport, the organization’s highest statutory body.
Addressing a press conference on the outcomes of the meeting, Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport, noted that the event produced concrete results that will shape the future development of transport systems. He stated that Azerbaijan has also worked to strengthen the institutional foundations of the ITF and has developed a structured membership strategy to implement the forum’s expansion process in a transparent manner, based on the interests of member states.
Nabiyev emphasized that Azerbaijan’s successful chairmanship contributed to the accession of three new members—Panama, Ghana, and Peru—bringing the total number of ITF member states to 72.
He added that Azerbaijan’s proposals regarding the digitalization of international freight transport connectivity and urban development were welcomed by member states.
In his remarks, Young Tae Kim, ITF Secretary-General, described the accession of the three new members under Azerbaijan’s presidency as evidence of the country’s successful efforts.
The new member states, in turn, expressed their gratitude to Azerbaijan for their accession and for its successful chairmanship of the forum.
The summit continued with a ministerial meeting focused on “Pillars of Progress: Governance, Innovation, and Cooperation.”
Addressing the meeting, Minister Rashad Nabiyev described governance, innovation, and cooperation as the cornerstones of the discussions, noting that these three pillars should guide the collective activities of ITF members in the coming period.
ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim stressed the importance of collective cooperation and continuous institutional innovation to ensure the sustainable and long-term development of the transport sector. He also announced the theme of the 2027 summit: “Governing Resilient Transport.”
Following the opening remarks, transport ministers from various countries and representatives of international organizations also delivered speeches.
The event is the world’s largest gathering of transport ministers and serves as a key global platform for transport policy development. Since 2008, ministers from the ITF’s 69 member countries, along with leaders of international organizations, lawmakers, and representatives of business and academia, have convened annually in Leipzig to discuss the future of transport.
The forum now brings together 1,200 participants from over 70 countries, including 39 ministers, reflecting growing global interest and expanding engagement through high-level discussions and exhibitions.
