Business news

MINSK, 8 June (BelTA) – Belarus is set to complete the electrification of the main traffic-heavy sections of the railway lines by 2030, Belarus’ Transport and Communications Minister Anatoly Sivak said at the Ministerial Conference “Promoting Connectivity in the CEI Region Bridging the Gap between Europe and Asia” in Minsk on 8 june, BelTA has learned.

“Very soon we will have an opportunity to use the electricity to be generated by the nuclear power plant currently under construction in Belarus. We are set to complete the electrification of the main traffic-heavy sections of the railway lines by 2030 and will make the maximum use of electric traction in cargo and passenger transportation,” the minister said.

Anatoly Sivak recalled that, in accordance with the national strategy for sustainable social and economic development of Belarus for the period till 2030, Belarus is working on achieving the UN goal calling to take urgent action to combat climate change. “Thanks to the efforts of the authorities and business, over recent years the country has achieved positive momentum in reducing the emissions from mobile and stationary sources. In transport, we are working to upgrade the fleet with modern vehicles, including those running on electric traction,” he said.

The minister noted that over the past 5 years, Belarus has advanced to the top 50 countries with a high level of human development and is moving towards the accelerated informatization. “Our transport system meets the needs of the society in the transportation of goods and passengers. Rural population living within two kilometers of all-season roads can use the services of public transport, and urban residents have access to transport stops within the radius of 500 meters. These services are envisaged in the the social standards in the field of transport adopted by the government,” he said.

According to Anatoly Sivak, the measures undertaken in transport to preserve the health and life of people are consistent with the UN goal to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being. “The number of road accidents is reducing. We seek to achieve the UN road safety target by 2020,” he stressed and said that over the last decade the number of road accidents in Belarus has decreased 2 times. The number of people killed in car accidents has fallen more than 2.5 times.

On 8 June Minsk plays host to the Ministerial Conference on relationships and compatibility in the CEI region “Promoting Connectivity in the CEI Region: Bridging the Gap between Europe and Asia” as correlated with the new Silk Road. Thematic panel discussions are focused on the modernization of transport and logistics infrastructure in the context of the EU strategies for the development of trans-European transport corridors involving the resources of international financial institutions; facilitation of trade through the harmonization of customs, rules of origin and value appraisal procedures, tariff and non-tariff regulation, industrial, sanitary and phytosanitary standards (including in the context of building the cooperation between the EU and EAEU).The conference is also discussing the promotion of the concept of so-called digital transport corridors through the development of paperless trade systems, mutual recognition of electronic shipping documents, online sales platforms for small and medium-sized business, cross-border digital services. The ministerial conference is held under the aegis of Belarus’ presidency in the CEI.