Source: MIL-OSI Translation:
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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The first International Transport and Logistics Forum has started work in Saint Petersburg. The event is intended to become a new platform for global dialogue on the development of the world transport system in an era of geopolitical changes. Within its framework, a plenary discussion “Global transport corridors: integration and ‘seamless logistics'” took place.The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin, Minister of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates Suhail Mohammed Al-Mazrouei, Transport Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ilhom Makhamov, Minister-Delegate for the Maritime Economy of the Ministry of Maritime Economy, Fisheries and Coastal Affairs of the Togolese Republic Kokou Edem Tenge, Deputy Minister of Transport of ChinaChengdu of the People’s Republic of China, Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov and Chairman of the Board of Directors of GK “Delo” Sergey Shishkaryov.
In the context of changing the global order and accelerating economic and technological processes, international transport corridors become important not only from a logistics perspective, but also as tools for ensuring predictability, security, and economic connectivity of countries.
In his speech, Vitaly Savelyev emphasized the strategic role of Russia as a connecting link between the North and the South, the West and the East. He spoke in detail about the development of five main international transport corridors passing through the territory of the country.
“Taking into account the development of global South markets, the development of the international transport corridor “North – South” remains important for our country in the long term. Over the past four years, we have made significant progress both in the development of the corridor’s infrastructure and in the organization of transportation along its routes,” he said.
The “North-South” corridor allows for a significant reduction in the distance between the ports of the Russian Baltic and South Asia – almost twice as short compared to the route through the Suez Canal. Travel time is reduced from 35–45 to 15–20 days. Last year, about 21.5 million tons of cargo were transported through this international transport corridor, which is 39% more compared to figures from five years ago.
The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized the ongoing development of the historic transport artery in the direction of Siberia and the Far East – the Eastern railway testing ground. If in 2013 its carrying capacity was only 98 million tons, by 2024 it had been increased to 180 million tons. Last year, the implementation of the third phase began at the Eastern testing ground, within the framework of which contracts were signed for the construction of unique and capital-intensive infrastructure projects, such as the Severomuysky, Kodarsky, and Kuznetsovsky tunnels, as well as a bridge across the Amur River.
Vitaliy Savelyev also noted the active development of the Northern Sea Route and the Trans-Arctic transport corridor as a whole. “Today we consider the transport corridor of the Northern Sea Route from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok, not within its geographical limits — from the Kara Gate to the Bering Strait. For our country, this is not just a commercial route, but a way to ensure year-round connectivity of the territory of our country,” he said. According to the plan, the cargo flow on the Northern Sea Route by 2030 should reach 70–109 million tons.To ensure such a volume of transportation, the development of port infrastructure and the icebreaker fleet continues.
“The priorities of scientific and technological development were defined by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The Strategy indicates that technologies should help ensure the transport connectivity of our country. There is also an instruction that we should maintain leadership positions in the development of domestic technologies: on land, at sea, and in the air, including unmanned and autonomous systems,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.
He added that it is important to focus on global technological trends in logistics: the use of artificial intelligence, robotics, and the use of drones, as well as sustainable development.
Within the framework of the national project “Industrial support of transport mobility,” almost 140 billion rubles have been allocated for scientific research and experimental design developments over the next three years, with the main share attributed to R&D in aviation and shipbuilding.
The Deputy Prime Minister also reported that, according to the estimates of the Ministry of Labor of Russia, by 2032 the transport sector of Russia will require about 220 thousand qualified specialists: “We annually increase the number of budget places at universities and colleges. This academic year alone, more than 130 thousand have been established. In total, last year about 170 thousand applicants entered Russian universities and colleges, approximately 128 thousand graduates entered the labor market. More than 8.5 thousand foreign students from over 100 countries studied at Russian transport universities.”
Within the framework of the federal project “Professionalism,” based on industry requests, more than 100 companies have partnered to create 46 specialized clusters in 34 regions.
Andrey Nikitin outlined the key directions of industry development, focusing attention on eliminating infrastructural constraints, digitalization, and expanding international cooperation.
One of the priority tasks, according to him, remains the elimination of infrastructural constraints. As a vivid example, he cited the construction of the high-speed Moscow – Saint Petersburg highway, which will create additional opportunities for freight transportation and the development of port infrastructure. “We have the appropriate budget and clear plans, and all infrastructural constraints will be systematically eliminated in the coming years,” he added.
The minister also paid special attention to the seamlessness of digital processes. In Russia, a National Digital Transport and Logistics Platform is being formed, elements of which are already being successfully implemented. Among them are electronic waybills for railway and aviation transport, and from September 1, they will also be implemented in road transport. In addition, a register of carriers and freight forwarders is being created. The head of the Ministry of Transport noted that digitalization will allow reducing the waiting time at checkpoints to 10 minutes due to the transition to electronic documents.
The topic of the development of unmanned transport was also touched upon. The use of unmanned trucks will significantly accelerate delivery: the route Saint Petersburg – Kazan is reduced from 58 to 24 hours. Active work is underway in the country on the implementation of unmanned trains, trams, and other innovative solutions, and a legislative framework for their mass use is also being prepared.
Speaking about international cooperation, Andrey Nikitin emphasized that the transport system must be built on the principles of openness and collaboration. Russia is ready to share its technologies and experience with partners, as well as develop joint projects in the field of logistics and digital platforms.
In turn, Alexander Beglov said that Saint Petersburg is actively working on the “10 Development Priorities” program. “We are part of the great transport system of our country, and we are proud that we are implementing many large-scale projects. One of these landmark projects is the high-speed railway between Saint Petersburg and Moscow, which will reduce travel time to just 2 hours and 15 minutes. This is truly an impressive result, and we eagerly await the launch of this stage in 2028,” he said.
At the same time, it is planned to expand the capabilities of port infrastructure, railway transportation, and air communication in order to strengthen the role of Petersburg as a major transport hub.
Chenguan Sui noted that over the course of 40 years in China, a program of reforms and openness has been implemented, within the framework of which a powerful infrastructure in the field of transport and logistics has been created. “Within the development plan for the next five years in China, large-scale measures are planned to transform the national transport system and improve the quality of services. We consider current challenges as opportunities for diversifying trade and logistics,” he said. The deputy minister also added that the exchange of best practices in the field of transport and logistics can become the basis for mutually beneficial cooperation.China is ready to share experience and implement joint projects that will contribute to the economic development of all participants.
The transport strategy of Saudi Arabia is aimed at transforming the country into a global logistics hub. Minister of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser reported this. “If we look at projects that have already been implemented in our ports, airports and road networks, it becomes clear how strong the created infrastructure is,” he said. “The sustainability of the entire logistics system is one of our main tasks. We have invested in modern technologies, and all our port terminals and airports are equipped with advanced solutions.””We plan to develop new routes that will ensure connectivity and strengthen relations between countries of the world.”
The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, Suhail Mohamed Al-Mazrouei, reported that the country has decided to invest significantly in the development of railway infrastructure. Active work is also underway on the integration of the railway network with Oman, which opens up new opportunities for transporting goods to Africa and Asia.
“We continue to invest in the development of the transport logistics network across the entire country and are developing alternative routes. Russia plays an important role as an exporter of raw materials, and the development of its regions will contribute to global economic growth. Central Asia is also becoming a key player, and we are investing in the infrastructure of this region, connecting China with the global economy through Russia and the Middle East,” he noted.
Ilhom Makhkamov told those present about Uzbekistan’s experience in the digitization of the transport sector. “We will create a unified transport space in Central Asia, where we can introduce digitized transport documents, which will allow us to speed up the movement of international cargo across our territory,” the minister emphasized. “Uzbekistan positions itself as an active participant in the digitization process of all operational processes in the field of transport. We are also open to integration with international transport corridors, which are relevant in the context of modern global logistics challenges.”We understand that there is no single universal transport corridor, and therefore we will work on integration into various routes.
Koku Edem Tenge expressed to me the opinion that it is necessary to take into account the African perspective in the context of changes to maritime routes. The situations around the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz open up new opportunities for Western Africa.
In particular, the port of Lomé, the largest container port in the Sahel region, processes about 30 million tons of goods annually and has enormous regional significance. “We actively cooperate with the states of the Sahel, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which makes the port of Lomé a major logistics hub for these countries,” he said. “It is important to note that Africa depends on chemical fertilizers and grains produced in Russia. We believe that the opening of new sea routes between Africa and Russia can be implemented through the port of Lomé.”
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