ODESA, JANUARY 25th, 2011, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — Television space bridge between Odesa Oblast and Lithuania Transport Corridor the Black — Baltic Sea has been organized in Odesa, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

The agency has been informed about it today, 25 January, at Plaske Ukraine.

As they informed at the company, the organizers of the event were the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Ukraine in cooperation with Odesa Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry with support of the representative of Lithuanian Railway in Ukraine — Plaske JSC.

The participants of the televised conference were MFA representatives of both countries. Lithuania was also represented by Advisor to the Premier, Advisor to the Minister of Transport, Managers of the Klaipeda Commercial Sea Port, Lithuanian Railway, Association of Stevedoring Companies of Lithuania, Association of Forwarders of Lithuania and others. Ukraine was also represented by Odesa Regional State Administration, Ukrzaliznytsia, Odesa and Illichivsk Commercial Sea Ports, Ukrainian State Centre of Transport Service Liski, Odesa Railway and others.

This project features the provision of transparent relations in order to create a healthy and competitive environment. The connection of the ports on the Black and Baltic seas with access to Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden is an optimal variant not only for the traditional directions East—West but also North—South.

“This space bridge is very important in connection of the two trade zones of the Baltic and Black Sea countries. Our neighbours’ cargo flow at sea partly evades Ukraine and Lithuania by automotive transport, because of unattractiveness of the routes and other objective and subjective factors. Our task is to do what we can to make this kind of space bridges a starting point for the dialogue between the business and the power based on resolving exact problems”, said Plaske President Oleg Platonov.

“Both of the parties are interested in keeping active operation of the Viking container train proceeding Odesa—Klaipeda—Odesa. At present, special attention is paid to increase of transportations and a possibility of broadening the geography both to European countries and Caucasus, Central Asia and Turkey”, said representative of Lithuanian customs Vitianis Alishauskas.

Plaske informed, during the conference, the parties came to a conclusion an action plan should be developed taking into account the results of the talks. Already now they agreed to carry out experience exchange between the ports. Klaipeda Sea Port is ready to share their information exchange system between the port companies and state organizations (KIPIS) with the ports of Odesa Oblast. The system has allowed to significantly speed up of cargo operations at the Klaipeda Sea Port increase its attractiveness and competitiveness.