MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) – An intergovernmental agreement on the transit of Belarusian cargo through the territory of Russia has been signed, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Belarus.
On 29 September the Ministry of Transport of Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement on the transit of Belarusian cargo through the territory of the Russian Federation. The document provides for the creation of alternative routes for delivering export products: goods meant for third countries will be transported both through seaports and through land transport infrastructure. The document was signed by Minister of Transport and Communications of Belarus Aleksei Avramenko and Minister of Transport of Russia Vitaly Saveliev.
As Vitaly Saveliev recalled, at the recent meeting Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed bilateral cooperation with a focus on the economy, in particular, the implementation of large-scale joint projects.
“Collaboration of our ministries always yields significant results. Such work shows the level of integration within the framework of the Union State, one of the foundations of which is the transport complex. I am sure that the signing of the intergovernmental cooperation agreement in transportation of goods, including mineral fertilizers, through transport corridors passing through the territories of our states, will give a new impetus to national economies,” the Russian minister of transport emphasized.
According to him, the document will allow Belarus to maintain the existing volume of export, enter new markets and strengthen cooperation in transportation.
“For my part, I want to highlight constructive interaction with the Russian Ministry of Transport. Let me remind you that we were closely involved in the work on the agreement on petroleum products, and I am very glad that this agreement was successfully enforced and is producing results. Today we have arrived at a broader agreement on a fairly large number of goods. We will keep working on it, build new logistics chains. This is the main task for the transport ministries to address. I am sure that the signing of this agreement will give a fresh impetus to our relations and that the tasks set by the heads of state and government of our countries will certainly be fulfilled,” Aleksei Avramenko said.
This agreement will guarantee access for Belarus' economic operators to the transport services provided by Russian companies and will ensure reliable and stable export deliveries.
In February 2021, the governments of the two countries signed an agreement on transshipment of Belarusian oil products meant for third countries through Russian ports. According to Vitaly Saveliev, taking into consideration current transshipment volumes, about 3 million tonnes of oil products are expected to be transshipped by the end of the year, against the planned 2.4 million tonnes.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the successful implementation of the first agreement, new efficient routes and the growing capacity of the Russian port infrastructure paved the way for a new intergovernmental agreement between the transport ministries of the two countries.
