The IRU (International Road Transport Union) initiated the programme of establishing regular commercial haulage between Europe and Asia along the ancient Silk Road over 10 years ago. Since that time IRU has convened several international conferences (Irkutsk, Tehran, Beijing, Warsaw) conducted several studies and organised three international caravans (Vladivostok – Lisbon, Beijing – Brussels, Black Sea Ring Highway Caravan). The abovementioned activities provided concrete evidence that commercial deliveries by road of certain types of manufactured goods from China to Europe (and further to US via Atlantic) could be started today without any additional investments in infrastructure.
