Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 3 October (BelTA) – Belarus hopes for the EU’s support in the implementation of cross-border projects, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Kalinin told the media on the sidelines of the Belarusian Transport Week on 3 October, BelTA has learned.

“We are conducting negotiations with the European Union at the level of Brussels to draw financial support for our cross-border projects,” the deputy prime minster remarked. The Transport Week illustrates that neighboring states show great interest in joint projects with Belarus.

“Cross-border cooperation has been gaining momentum. We have completed the electrification of the Minsk-Vilnius railroad; we are building the M6 highway to the Polish border; we are carrying out a joint Belarus-Ukraine-Poland E40 water transport project. The heads of state have taken decisions regarding this project. We now need to complete it within a short period of time,” Anatoly Kalinin added.

In his words, there are plans to conduct negotiations with the Polish government in late October-early November on developing transportation routes in both countries and reducing the number of bottlenecks on Polish roads. Talks are also underway over the expansion of the geographical scope of air services, in particular, by means of reducing ticket prices and increasing passenger comfort. “We plan to buy two modern aircraft in 2018. Apart from that, we should ensure sustainable electric transportation infrastructure between Minsk and Vilnius ahead of the 2019 European Games,” the deputy prime minister emphasized.

“Today we see that road transport and rail transport companies use the forum to reach agreements. They cooperate in a common logistics network, discuss prospects for multimodal transport. This Transport Week is characterized by each country’s aspiration to bring forward its proposals within the framework of cross-border cooperation. Cross-border cooperation is the keynote of the exhibition which is now running in Minsk,” Anatoly Kalinin summarized.

The Belarusian Transport Week is taking place in Minsk from 3 to 5 October. It includes the 11th edition of the international exhibition Transport and Logistics 2017 and an eventful business program with plenary sessions, conferences and seminars. The events focus on passenger transportation, improving cargo transportation, containerization and efficient management in supply chains, traffic safety and transport operation.