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Russia will invest almost $550 billion
on its transportation system between
years 2010 and 2015 in order to step
up trade turnover by five to 10 times.
The investment program is the biggest
ever adopted by the Russian government.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said
Russia's underdeveloped infrastructure
is a drag on the country's economy.
“Russia carries only one percent
of trade turnover between Europe and
Asia, while experts say this could
be five or even ten times more. Thus,
it is vital to move from just maintenance
of Russia's transportation system
to its development,” Putin said.
Being a strategic partner of India,
Russia pays great attention to the
development of bilateral relations.
The volume of trade between to countries
is to reach $10 billion by 2010.
One of the most vital projects is
Eurasian transport corridor “NORTH-SOUTH”.
It provides the transportation in
the meridian direction and connects
countries of the North and North-West
Europe with Caucuses, Central Asia,
Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean countries.
Some parts of the Eurasian transport
corridor “NORTH-SOUTH”
coincides with the Pan European corridor
No 9.
Exploitation of this corridor will
reduce time and expenses of the freight
transportation comparing to traditional
sea routes through the Suez Channel.
In medium-term prospect international
freight traffic on this corridor will
increase in volume up to 10 million
tonnes. Corridor starts at the Russian-Finnish
border then through Saint Petersburg
and Moscow goes to Caspian seaports
(Astrakhan, Olya and Makhachkala)
and to the border with Azerbaidzhan
(Samur). Afterwards cargos are transported
by Caspian Sea and by railroads of
the other countries to Iran, Persian
Gulf and India and neighbouring countries.
There is a branch of the main route
going through Astrakhan to Kasakhstan.
A Joint deep-water system of the European
part of Russia including main river
ports is also the part of the corridor.
According to the programme “Modernization
of the transport system of the Russian
Federation (2002-2010)” the
volume of investments into the development
of the Eurasian corridor NORTH-SOUTH
on the territory of Russia will be
over $6.4 billion.
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