The Eurasian Civil Aviation Conference (EACAC), comprising Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, held its inaugural meeting in Almaty, attended by the aviation authorities of the member countries.

EACAC will provide a consolidated platform for representing regional interests in cooperation with global industry institutions such as ICAO, the European Commission, IATA, and other international organizations.

Representatives of the Mongolian aviation authorities participated in the meeting as an observer state.

The meeting was opened by the Vice Minister of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Talgat Lastayev. «For the first time in the Eurasian region, an organization of this level is being established in the field of civil aviation. EACAC will enable the aviation authorities of our countries to effectively collaborate, exchange experience, knowledge, and best practices in flight safety, aviation security, facilitation, sustainable development, and aviation personnel training. Most importantly, it will provide a foundation for devising solutions to pressing issues in preparation for future challenges,» the Vice Minister noted.

The main objective of EACAC is to establish a platform for cooperation among civil aviation authorities of member countries in the Eurasian region, facilitating effective coordination and interaction among aviation authorities. To this end, the participants of the event signed a declaration establishing the Eurasian Civil Aviation Conference. On behalf of Kazakhstan, the document was signed by the Chair of the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Saltanat Tompiyeva.

In his remarks, the Director General of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, Catalin Radu, said: “The Eurasian Civil Aviation Conference is a major initiative that enables better coordination of our countries’ efforts to ensure a unified voice and a stronger representation in the international aviation community. This initiative has received significant support from both governments and the industry and we are now starting to consolidate our partnership with our “sister” organizations (ACAO, AFCAC, ECAC, LACAC) and with the main international organizations.”

During the event, there was also a presentation of the Excellence Center training project for the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, as well as a proposal to establish a unified platform called the «EACAC Inspector Database.»

Following the meeting, the Director General of the Civil Aviation Agency under the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tahir Nazarov, was elected President of EACAC. The Vice Minister of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Talgat Lastaev, was appointed Secretary General of EACAC.

Among the tasks of EACAC Strengthening regional cooperation and mutual support; developing and implementing common policies and procedures to improve flight safety, aviation security, facilitation, sustainable growth, and unmanned aviation, contributing to the effective development of civil aviation and other related areas; coordinating and implementing international civil aviation standards and recommended practices across the region; strengthening the aviation capabilities of countries in the region and enhancing their presence on the international aviation stage; providing technical assistance and participating in the training of aviation personnel, as well as creating a shared “pool” of technical resources within the region.

For reference: The initiative to establish the Eurasian Civil Aviation Conference (EACAC) was first announced in May 2023 as part of the 1st Kazakhstan Aviation Dialogue: “Energy Transition for Sustainable Development and Realization of the Transit Potential of Central Asia.” In April 2024, the EACAC project was presented in Toulouse, France, during a meeting of the Directors General of Civil Aviation of the ICAO European and North Atlantic Bureau (EURNAT-DGCA).