The objective of this agreement is to improve connectivity within the Eurasian region and synchronize it with other transport corridors within the eurasian region, including the North-South International Corridor (INSTC). In March 2016, the Indian government applied for permission to join the agreement. It received the approval of the founding members of the agreement before obtaining formal membership on 3 February 2018[11] On 23 March 2016, India formally expressed interest in joining the Ashgabat agreement. On 1 February 2018, Turkmenistan, as the custodian state of the Ashgabat Agreement, informed India “that the four founding members have all accepted India`s accession (to the agreement).” India will now provide the Coordinating Committee with information on all details regarding taxes, charges, customs duties and other payments at ports and checkpoints. The Ashgabat agreement provides for the facilitation of the transit and transport of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. Membership of the agreement would allow India to diversify opportunities for Central Asia and have a positive impact on India`s trade and trade relations with the region. The multimodal transport agreement, signed by the governments of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Pakistan, India and Oman to create an international transport and transit corridor facilitating the transport of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf, is called the Ashgabat Agreement. An important topic for the audit of the IAS, Ashgabat Agreement is GS-II (Indian Polity – International Relations.) India`s accession to the agreement will take effect on Saturday. After the cabinet`s agreement, India tabled the membership instrument in Turkmenistan in April 2016.
In 2016, India tabled the accession instrument with Turkmenistan and its accession to the agreement was approved by the founding members of the Ashgabat Agreement on 1 February 2018. India has signed an agreement with Russia and Iran on the creation of the North-South International Corridor (INSTC), which also includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Oman. India has also ratified the International Road Transport Convention (TIR), which facilitates cross-border trade in goods. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are also parties to the TIR Convention, although they have not yet joined INSTC. Membership of the Ashgabat Agreement will certainly feel in this missing link and thus facilitate a smooth link with Eurasia. Membership of the agreement will also diversify India`s connection opportunities to Central Asia. The agreement will also use the 2013 Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) rail line, the Afghanistan-Azerbaijan-Turkey transport corridor in 2014, the Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan-Kazakhstan-Kazakhstan and TRACECA (Europe-Caucasus-Asia corridor), including the EU and 14 countries in Eastern Europe, South Asia and Central Asia.