ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (eTN) – Networking of responsible tourism organizations under the banner of “The Region Initiative” (TRI) has appealed to Chinese government not to use name “New Silk Road” for its new cross-border road project that will run through Central Asia and continue into Europe, facilitating improved transport and trade.
TRI, in an appeal, maintains that 213 km of expressway between Kashgar and Erkeshtam that is expected to open in September 2013 will, of course, be the first expressway to cross the Pamirs Plateau and offer access to Central Asia and a new link between Asia and Europe. However, TRI says that Chinese media and government should not call it the New Silk Road, because such a name may undermine the historic originality of Silk Road.
TRI, which is tri-regional organization, functions as a link between three regions – South Asia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe – and it believes that the Silk Road name should be copyrighted so that only the original Silk Road may use the name and any use of “Silk Road” for any new project should be considered as piracy.
TRI is a networking of regional intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, tour operators, and other stakeholders of South Asia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, with partners in Armenia, Bangladesh, India, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tajikistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.