Joint Lithuania‘s and Kazakhstan‘s projects – an impetus for container train “Saulė”
“The revival of historically significant Silk Road is a solid enhancement of transport, trade and other fields of cooperation between Asia and Europe, says the press center of Lithuania’s Ministry of Transport and Communications. The challenges and possibilities of the new century allow extending geographically the New Silk Road and comprise such new section as the Baltic Sea region”, at the 8th Astana Economic Forum underlined Rimantas Sinkevičius, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania.
Lithuania due to convenient geographical position with the easy access to the New Silk Road countries and 750 million consumer markets, as well as well-developed transport and logistics infrastructure can become a connection to Europe.
“Train “Saulė” is a strategic project of cooperation between Lithuania and Kazakhstan which has a real possibility to become an impressive realization of the Great Silk Road ambition. We seek to develop the project further and expand the transit carriage of cargo between Eastern and Western Europe as well as Scandinavian countries through Lithuanian territory”, said Minister Rimantas Sinkevičius. “Noteworthy, this idea is not only written down, but, currently, is actively making its way to life”, added the Minister.
Kazakhstan seeks to realize logistics projects allowing increasing the capacity of intermodal terminals in China and the EU countries. In addition, it sets up the freight distribution center in East-West corridor. The country envisages implementing the project “Khorgos-Eastern Gate” that will develop Aktau seaport and Special Economic Zone. Analogously, Lithuania develops transport hub project Klaipėda-Western Gate.
It is expected that the Memorandum of Understanding on establishing joint ventures in Klaipėda and Khorgos, which was signed between Lithuania and Kazakhstan in December 2014, will help to implement the above mentioned transport and infrastructure projects and boost the development of container train “Saulė”.
On the 5-6th of June, an international conference „New Silk Road – a reliable link between Europe and Asia“ organized by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania, JSC "Lithuanian Railways“ and Klaipėda State Seaport Authority will take place in Klaipeda, Lithuania. At the conference, further cooperation directions will be discussed with the delegation from the Republic of Kazakhstan.