Published on: 2026-10-01
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In Svetlogorsk (Kaliningrad Region), Deputy Prime Minister – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev participated in the first International Forum of Port Cities.
“It seems to me that the forum we are participating in today has a special significance. Unfortunately, the world is becoming increasingly divided: ships are being arrested, transport corridors are being stopped. But I am absolutely sure that the future of the entire planet is only possible on the condition of developing trade and economic ties, strengthening the economy, and improving people’s lives,” said Yuri Trutnev at the opening of the forum.
As the Deputy Prime Minister reminded, by order of the President of Russia, a comprehensive development project for the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor is being developed, which will unite the Northern Sea Route, its associated inland waterways, railway approaches to the ports into a single system of routes, creating the most competitive, fast, and safe international transport corridor.
“Currently, more than 2,600 investment projects with government support are being implemented in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The total volume of investments planned in the Arctic zone over the next 10 years exceeds 30 trillion rubles. The development of transport infrastructure, including seaports, is one of the key conditions for their implementation, as well as one of the most important conditions for attracting new investments to the region. There is a lot of work ahead. I hope this forum will contribute and help establish international cooperation and effectively address the challenges facing the Arctic and the country,” added Yuri Trutnev.
According to Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of Russia, the forum brought together professionals from government bodies, the scientific and expert community, and business on one platform. “Participants are to conduct an open and constructive dialogue on issues of development, port integration, formation and diversification of transport and logistics routes, ensuring shipping safety, building mutually beneficial international cooperation in maritime activities, exchange experience, and develop effective joint solutions. Considering the ongoing reformatting of the global logistics and international trade architecture, the creation of new mechanisms and interaction schemes, which Russia offers to its partners, will undoubtedly contribute to mutual economic growth and technological development. I am confident that the International Forum of Port Cities will successfully establish itself as a relevant dialogue platform and will become regular in the future,” noted Nikolai Patrushev.
“We considered it both appropriate and symbolic to hold an event dedicated to one of the key topics of our region’s development in the year of the 80th anniversary of the Kaliningrad region. Here lies Russia’s westernmost port with a rich maritime history and a unique experience of integration into the global logistics system. The second aspect is connected with the active development in recent years of the ‘sea bridge’ with the rest of the country,” said Alexey Besprozvannykh, Governor of the Kaliningrad region. “Until now, there was no platform that united government representatives and the industry to discuss these issues. Therefore, we are glad that it is precisely the Kaliningrad region hosting the first Forum of Port Cities. I am confident that it will be an opportunity not only to exchange experiences but also to develop new approaches to the development of maritime logistics.”
The relevance of this direction is also confirmed by the dynamics of cargo transportation. If in 2021, 1.24 million tons of cargo were transshipped in cabotage traffic between the seaport of Kaliningrad and ports of other regions of the Russian Federation, then by 2025 this figure had already reached 4.96 million tons – a fourfold increase. Taking into account the total volume of investments attracted to the Kaliningrad region, amounting to about one trillion rubles, a twofold increase is forecast by 2030 – up to 10 million tons of cargo, the transshipment of which will be carried out during the indicated period in cabotage traffic.
The First International Forum of Port Cities creates a new format for strategic cooperation between port cities for dialogue among the state, business, and partners from BRICS. Participants of the forum included representatives from more than 540 companies and organizations.
The forum is expected to become an annual meeting place for representatives of government bodies, business, and international organizations, and will contribute to the formation and development of sustainable transport corridors, attracting investments for the development of port infrastructure, comprehensive development of port cities, and expansion of international cooperation.
The forum’s business program will last for two days. As part of the first day, “Challenges and Strategies: A New Logistics Map of the World,” a strategic discussion titled “Transport Corridors of Russia – Centers of International Integration” will be held, where they will discuss increasing the throughput capacity and safety of transport routes, modernizing port infrastructure, the interconnection of the development of port cities along the Transarctic Transport Corridor and the Great Northern Sea Route, the international transport corridor “North–South,” as well as the Baltic, Eastern, and Southern logistics hubs. There will be sectoral and expert discussions on the creation and development of fishery clusters and the implementation of PPP projects in port cities.
The central events of the forum will be the meeting of the Council for the Protection of the National Interests of the Russian Federation in the Arctic and the development of national and international maritime transport routes, as well as the plenary session “Port Cities – Key Points of the World’s Logistics Architecture.” The first day will also be dedicated to youth: the business program agenda includes a youth intensive titled “Port Cities – Youth at the Helm.”
On the second day of the forum “Technology and Investment: Drivers of Growth for Port Cities,” a meeting of mayors of port cities from BRICS countries is scheduled to be held on the topics of port and urban infrastructure development, as well as digital transformation. There will be an industry discussion titled “Procurement as a tool for the development of port infrastructure,” a special session on “Transport Security,” and various technological and industry discussions.
During the forum days, the exhibition “Atlas of Investment Opportunities of Port Cities” is open. Regions, logistics and technology companies, port operators, shipbuilding enterprises, and financial organizations have presented their stands.
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