Head of the Ukrainian State Customs Service Igor Kaletnik says the customs is ready to facilitate full-scale functioning of the train Viking.

The press service of the Ukrainian State Customs Service informed today, 3 December, the Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine Igor Kaletnik met Director General of the Customs Service of Lithuania Antanas Shipyavichyus, who arrived in Ukraine with a delegation headed by the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite.

Heads of departments discussed the prospects for further development of customs cooperation between the two countries. I. Kaletnik noted that the trade turnover between Ukraine and Lithuania, have tended to increase, and within 10 months of 2011 it has increased by 25% amounting to almost USD 1 billion.

One of the key issues discussed at the meeting is the operation of combined transport train Viking, operating on the route Odesa-Klaipeda.

The parties agreed to comprehensively address all the necessary measures in order to minimize the Viking’s travel time and intensify its work.

In particular, as the chairman of the State Customs Service said, “in order to create separate trains of combined transport it is necessary to increase freight traffic on the route. To achieve this, the customs service is ready technically and functionally to provide quick and convenient customs clearance.”

“Even now the time of customs procedures is limited to two hours (using electronic declaration — 1.5 hours). But Ukrainian customs officials are willing to work with Lithuanian colleagues in the mode of exchange of information in electronic form. This will reduce the time even more. Indeed, even before it arrives at the customs border of Ukraine or Lithuania, customs officials in both countries will already have the information about the goods being shipped and the possible risks”, the press service said.

I. Kaletnik stressed that “the full running of the train Viking would provide an additional incentive for further development of economic cooperation between our states.”

Heads of Customs Services also took part in meetings of the Presidents of the two countries and Ukrainian-Lithuanian business forum.

INFORMATION: The combined train Viking is a joint project of Lithuanian, Belarusian and Ukrainian railways, seaport cargo companies, and Klaipėda, Illichivsk and Odesa seaports. The train carries 20 and 40-foot containers as well as semitrailers and trailer-trains (contrailers). They are sent to Klaipėda port by sea transport from Scandinavia and Western Europe as well as via Mukran—Klaipėda ferry-line, and then carry on to Ukraine, Belarus, the near east, and Caucasus via Illichivsk and Odesa sea ports.