The President of the FIA, Max Mosley, and the FIA Foundation Director General David Ward have made a three country visit to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. All three countries are facing a major road safety challenge with fatality rates increasing annually by between 10% and 12%.
In Armenia the FIA Foundation has sponsored the recently formed National Road Safety Council (NRSC). The Council brings together the Automobile Federation of Armenia (FAA), the Protection of Consumer Rights NGO, the Armenian Public Health Association, Society for Driver’s Rights, and the British Alumni Association. Chaired by Mkrtich Pitloyan, President of the FAA, and directed by Poghos Shahinyan, the Council has launched an Armenian version of the Foundation’s ‘Think Before You Drive’ campaign. Whilst in Yerevan, Max Mosley and David Ward met with the Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and the Minister of Transport Andranik Manukyan who both expressed government support or the NRSC. A meeting was also held with Roger Robinson, the country representative of the World Bank which is increasing its support for road safety investments in the country.
In Georgia a series of high level meetings were held in the capital Tblisi. Max Mosley and David Ward met with the country’s President Mikheil Saakashvili who gave his endorsement to the message ‘Think Before You Drive’ by wearing the campaign bracelet. Hosted by the British Ambassador Donald Maclaren of Maclaren, the visitors also held meetings with the Mayor of Tblisi, Gigi Ugulava, the Speaker of the Parliament, Nino Bujanadze, and with the President of the Georgian Automobile Federation, Mr Shalva Ogbaidze. The GAF is planning to launch a Georgian version of the ‘Think’ campaign later this year. Max Mosley and David Ward also spoke to young people at the Georgian American University which recently suffered the loss of three students killed in a car crash.
In Baku, meetings again hosted by British Ambassador Laurie Bristow were held with senior members of Azerbaijan’s Transport Ministry and also with BP which has taken a leading role in promoting road safety in the country.