The 11th Meeting of the UIC Regional Assembly for the Middle-East (RAME) is to be held on 6 May in Esfahan in the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the kind invitation of Iranian Railways (RAI).

The UIC Regional Assembly for the Middle-East is chaired by Mr Süleyman Karaman, Director General of Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and the 1st Vice Chairman is Mr Abdol Ali Saheb-Mohammadi, Vice Minister for Roads and Urban Development, President of Iranian Railways (RAI). The CEO of CFS, Syria, Mr George Mokabari, is the 2nd Vice Chairman and the Director-General of Aqaba Railway (ARC) from Jordan, Mr Hussein Krishan, is the 3rd Vice Chairman.

Among the important topics on the agenda of the 11th Meeting, let us mention:

• a Report on rail projects and achievements in Middle-Eastern countries (by attending Presidents and Directors-General),
• the Report on activities of the UIC Regional Office for the Middle-East led by Mr Abbas Nazari, Director-General RAI, Director of the UIC Regional Office,
• the follow-up of activities related to the promotion of the Rail Vision for the Middle-East, and in particular the follow-up of the UIC RAME High-level conference “Rail Vision, Projects and Perspectives for the Middle-East” that took place on 2 November 2012 in Amman, Kingdom of Jordan, on 4 – 5 November 2012,
• the update and approval of the RAME 2013-2014 Action Plan (including a number of regional conferences, workshops and training seminars),
• applications for UIC and UIC Middle-East membership,
• budgetary issues.

Prior to the 11th UIC RAME Directors-General Meeting, a meeting of the Assistants Group of RAME Railways is due to take place on 5 May in Esfahan.