Published on: 2026-04-01
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In Saint Petersburg, the first International Transport and Logistics Forum has begun. The event is designed 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 titled “Global Transport Corridors: Integration and ‘Seamless Logistics'” took place.At the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, Minister of Transport 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, Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ilhom Makhkamov, Minister-Delegate for Maritime Economy of the Ministry of Maritime Economy, Fisheries and Coastal Zone of the Togolese Republic Kokou Edem Tenge, Deputy Minister of Transport of the People’s Republic of China participated.Sui Chenguan of the People’s Republic of China, governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov, and chairman of the board of directors of GC “Delo” Sergey Shishkaryov.
In the context of changing the global order and accelerating economic and technological processes, international transport corridors are becoming important not only from the logistical point of view, but also as instruments 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 detailed the development of five main international transport corridors passing through the country’s territory.
“Taking into account the development of the 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 developing the corridor’s infrastructure and in organizing transportation along its routes,” he said.
The “North-South” corridor allows a significant reduction in the distance between the ports of the Russian Baltic and South Asia – almost twice compared to the route through the Suez Canal. The transit time is reduced from 35–45 to 15–20 days. Last year, about 21.5 million tons of cargo were transported along this international transport corridor, which is 39% more compared to the indicators of the previous five years.
The Vice Premier also emphasized the ongoing development of the historic transport artery in the direction of Siberia and the Far East – the Eastern railway test site. If in 2013 its carrying capacity was only 98 million tons, then by 2024 it was increased to 180 million tons. Last year, the implementation of the third stage started at the Eastern test site, within which contracts were concluded 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.
Vitaly 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, and not just 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 icebreaker fleet continues.
“The priorities for scientific and technological development were determined by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The strategy of the Scientific and Technical Council indicates that technologies should help ensure the transport connectivity of our country. There is also a directive that we maintain leading positions in the development of our own 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 drone utilization, as well as sustainable development.
Within the framework of the national project “Industrial Support for Transport Mobility,” nearly 140 billion rubles have been allocated over the next three years for scientific research and experimental design developments, with the main share accounted for by R&D in aviation and shipbuilding.
The Deputy Prime Minister also reported that, according to the estimates of the Russian Ministry of Labor, by 2032 about 220 thousand qualified specialists will be needed for the transportation sector of Russia: “We annually increase the number of budget-funded places in universities and colleges. Only this academic year, more than 130 thousand have been established. In total, last year, about 170 thousand applicants enrolled in Russian universities and colleges, and about 128 thousand graduates entered the labor market. More than 8.5 thousand foreign students from over 100 countries have also been trained in Russian transportation universities.”
Within the framework of the federal project “Professionalism” based on industry requests and in partnership with more than 100 companies, 46 special clusters have been created in 34 regions.
Andrey Nikitin designated the key areas of industry development, focusing attention on eliminating infrastructure constraints, digitalization, and expanding international cooperation.
One of the priority tasks, according to him, remains the elimination of infrastructure 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 an appropriate budget and clear plans, and all infrastructure constraints will be gradually 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 rail and air 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 Minister of Transport noted that digitalization will reduce the waiting time at checkpoints to 10 minutes by transitioning to electronic documents.
The topic of the development of unmanned transport was also touched upon. The use of unmanned trucks will allow a significant acceleration of delivery: the Saint Petersburg – Kazan route will be shortened from 58 to 24 hours. Active work is underway in the country on the implementation of unmanned trains, trams, and other innovative solutions, as well as the preparation of a legislative framework for their mass application.
Speaking about international cooperation, Andrey Nikitin emphasized that the transport system must be built on the principle of openness and cooperation. Russia is ready to share its technologies and experience with partners, as well as to develop joint projects in the field of logistics and digital platforms.
In turn, Alexander Beglov said that Saint Petersburg is actively working under the “10 priorities of development” 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 only 2 hours and 15 minutes. This is truly an impressive result, and we are eagerly awaiting 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 traffic to strengthen the role of Petersburg as a major transport hub.
Chengguan Sui noted that over the course of 40 years in China, a program of reform 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 a 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.
Saudi Arabia’s transport strategy is aimed at transforming the country into a global logistics hub. This was reported by the Minister of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser. “If you look at the projects that have already been implemented in our ports, airports, and road network, it becomes obvious how strong the created infrastructure is,” he said. “The sustainability of the entire logistics system is one of our main objectives. 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 the countries of the world.
The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, Suhail Mohammed Al-Mazrouei, stated that the country has decided to significantly invest in the development of railway infrastructure. Active work is also underway on the unification of the railway network with Oman, which opens up new opportunities for cargo transportation to Africa and Asia.
“We continue to invest in the development of the transport and logistics network across the entire country and develop 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 funds in the infrastructure of this region, connecting China with the global economy through Russia and the Middle East,” he noted.
Ilyom Markamov told those present about Uzbekistan’s experience in digitizing the transport industry. “We will create a unified transport space in Central Asia, where we can implement digitized transport documents, which will allow speeding up the movement of international cargo through our territory,” emphasized the minister. “Uzbekistan positions itself as an active participant in the process of digitizing 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 challenges in global logistics.”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 in maritime routes. 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 Sahel states, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which makes the port of Lomé the main logistics hub for these countries,” he said. “It is important to note that Africa depends on chemical fertilizers and grain produced in Russia. We believe that the opening of new sea routes between Africa and Russia can be realized through the port of Lomé.”
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate report on what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.