Lithuania, Azerbaijan Exploring East-West Transport Opportunities

Lithuania, Azerbaijan Exploring East-West Transport Opportunities

Lithuania has invited Azerbaijan to contribute to the development of the Baltic Sea-Black Sea corridor and the joint project of Lithuanian, Belarusian and Ukrainian railways – container train Viking at a meeting between the countries’ transport officials held earlier this week.

The key topics discussed at the meeting included further development of freight transportation in East-West transport corridor via the port of Klaipėda.

Rimantas Sinkevičius, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania, underlined that over the last eight months, the transit of goods between Lithuania and Azerbaijan increased by 42 percent compared to the same period in 2013. Most of which consisted of food products.

The Minister said that the port of Klaipėda and JSC Lithuanian Railways are ready to offer cargo handling and storage services at competitive rates.

Sinkevičius also invited companies from Azerbaijan to invest and participate in the establishment of public logistic centres, set up companies in free economic zone in Klaipėda and use the possibilities Lithuania can offer in developing economic relationship with the EU Members.

Prospects of cooperation in Viking project were also discussed with Azerbaijan’s Transport Minister Ziya Mammadov and Ali M. Abbasov, Minister of Communications and High Technologies.

Moldavian, Romanian and Bulgarian railway companies are already participating in the project and pilot train on a new route from Lithuania through Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Romania to Turkey will be launched this year. Considering the current Viking route, Azerbaijan could be connected to the network via ports of Poti and Batumi in Georgia, as well as overland routes passing Turkey and Georgia.

The Lithuanian Ministry said that the countries agreed to establish a joint working group, adding that further development of cooperation in transport field will be discussed at Azerbaijan-Lithuania Intergovernmental Commission meeting to be held in Shamkir (Azerbaijan).

Press Release