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The Czech Republic Assumes the Presidency of the International Transport Forum

The Czech Republic Assumes the Presidency of the International Transport Forum

7/5/2026Press releases

At the summit of the International Transport Forum (ITF) under the OECD, the Czech Republic assumed the presidency of this international organization for the coming year. The Czech delegation at the summit in Leipzig, Germany, was led by Minister of Transport Ivan Bednárik. During its presidency, the Czech Republic will focus primarily on sharing experiences with financing the construction of transport infrastructure, strengthening the role of rail freight transport, and introducing modern digital technologies in transport. The highlight of the Czech presidency will be the 2027 ITF summit, to be held in Leipzig under the theme “Governing Resilient Transport.”
 

The Czech Republic Assumes the Presidency of the International Transport Forum
“Transport knows no borders, which is precisely why international cooperation is more important today than ever before. Our common task is to eliminate bottlenecks in transport, develop modern infrastructure, reduce unnecessary red tape, and support digitalization. During its ITF presidency, the Czech Republic aims to coordinate cooperation among more than seventy member countries in these geopolitically complex times to improve accessible and reliable passenger and freight transport,” said Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik.
 
Key topics of discussion also included the digitalization of international freight transport, the development of urban mobility, the security and resilience of supply chains, cybersecurity in transport, support for multimodality, and the acceleration of planning and permitting processes for transport infrastructure projects.

The Minister of Transport’s itinerary also included a series of bilateral meetings. The minister held talks with his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Japan, Spain, Norway, Turkey, and Ghana. Topics discussed included cooperation in transportation, high-speed rail, the competitiveness of rail freight transport, infrastructure financing, and opportunities for deeper cooperation with countries outside Europe. The meetings with Azerbaijan and Ghana concluded with the signing of memorandums of cooperation between the respective ministries of transportation.

Czech Republic Supports Simplifying Permitting Processes for Transportation Projects

Minister Bednárik also participated in a side event led by German Federal Minister of Transport Patrick Schneider, which focused on accelerating the preparation of transportation projects and reducing the administrative burden at the European level.

In this debate, the head of the Czech Ministry of Transport emphasized that infrastructure investments must be accompanied by simpler, more digital, and more predictable permitting processes: “The development of modern transport infrastructure is one of the key priorities of both the Czech Republic and the European Union as a whole. In the context of the planned construction of high-speed rail lines, it is essential that the European Union support this initiative not only through appropriate financial instruments, but also by systematically reducing the administrative burden in permitting processes. The current level of bureaucracy significantly prolongs the preparation of strategic construction projects. The Czech Republic therefore welcomes initiatives aimed at simplifying these processes at the European level and is prepared to actively participate in promoting them,” said Minister Bednárik.
 

About the International Transport Forum (ITF)

The International Transport Forum (ITF) of the OECD is an intergovernmental organization comprising 72 member countries. It serves as a global platform for dialogue on transport policy and as a think tank in the field of transport. The ITF is administratively integrated into the OECD and is the only global organization that addresses all modes of transport.

It organizes an annual summit of transport ministers, which is among the world’s most significant gatherings focused on transport policy. The Forum has long been dedicated to the topics of sustainable mobility, digitalization, innovation, safety, and accessible and inclusive transport.




 



 
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