Within the framework of the first International Transport and Logistics Forum (ITLF), taking place in St. Petersburg from 1 to 3 April, a plenary discussion titled "World Transport Corridors: Integration and 'Seamless Logistics'" took place, according to ITLF organizers.
The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin, Minister of Transport and Logistics of Saudi Arabia Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the UAE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Ilkhom Makhkamov, Minister Delegate for Maritime Economy of the Ministry of Maritime Economy, Fisheries and Coastal Protection of the Togolese Republic Kokou Edem Tengue, Deputy Minister of Transport of the PRC Chenguang Xu, Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Delo Group Sergey Shishkarev.
"In the context of a changing global world order and the acceleration of economic and technological processes, international transport corridors become important not only from a logistics perspective but also as tools for ensuring predictability, security, and economic connectivity between countries," the report notes.
In his speech, Vitaly Savelyev focused on Russia's strategic role as a link between North and South, West and East. He spoke in detail about the development of the five main international transport corridors passing through the country's territory.
"Taking into account the development of Global South markets, the development of the North-South international transport corridor remains important for our country in the long term. Over the last four years, we have made significant progress both in the development of the corridor's infrastructure and in the organization of transportation along its routes," he said.
The North-South corridor allows for a significant reduction in the distance between Russian Baltic ports and South Asia — almost by half compared to the route through the Suez Canal. Travel time is reduced from 35-45 to 15-20 days. Last year, about 21.5 million tons of cargo were transported along this international transport corridor, which is 39% more compared to the indicators of five years ago.
The Vice-Prime Minister also emphasized the continued development of the historical transport artery towards Siberia and the Far East — the Eastern Polygon of railways. While in 2013 its carrying capacity was only 98 million tons, in 2024 it was brought to 180 million tons. Last year, the implementation of the third stage began on the Eastern Polygon, within which contracts were signed for the construction of unique and capital-intensive infrastructure projects such as the Severomuysky, Kodarsky, and Kuznetsovsky tunnels, as well as a bridge over the Amur River.
Vitaly Savelyev also noted the active development of the Northern Sea Route and the Trans-Arctic transport corridor as a whole. "Today we consider the transport corridor of the Northern Sea Route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, and not within its geographical limits — from the Kara Gates to the Bering Strait. For our country, this is not just a commercial path, but a way to ensure year-round connectivity of our country's territory," he stated. According to the plan, cargo flow on the Northern Sea Route should reach between 70 and 109 million tons by 2030. To ensure such a volume of transportation, the development of port infrastructure and the icebreaker fleet continues.
"Priorities for scientific and technological development were determined by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The STD Strategy indicates that technologies should help provide our country with transport connectivity. There is also an instruction that we maintain leadership positions in developing our own technologies: on land, at sea, and in the air, including unmanned and autonomous systems," Dmitry Chernyshenko said.
He added that it is important to focus on global technological trends in logistics: the use of artificial intelligence, robotization, the use of drones, and sustainable development.
Within the framework of the national project "Industrial Provision of Transport Mobility," almost 140 billion rubles are allocated for scientific research and development over the next 3 years, with the main share going to R&D in aviation and shipbuilding.
The Vice-Prime Minister also reported that according to estimates by the Russian Ministry of Labor, by 2032 the Russian transport sector will require about 220,000 qualified specialists: "We annually increase the number of budget-funded places in universities and colleges. For this academic year alone, more than 130,000 have been established. In total, about 170,000 applicants entered Russian universities and colleges last year, and about 128,000 graduates entered the market. More than 8,500 foreign students from over 100 countries also studied in Russian transport universities."
Within the framework of the federal project "Professionalitet," 46 special clusters have been created in 34 regions to meet the industry's demands in partnership with more than 100 different companies.
Andrey Nikitin outlined key directions for industry development, focusing on the elimination of infrastructure constraints, digitalization, and expansion of international cooperation.
One of the priority tasks, according to him, remains the elimination of infrastructure constraints. As a striking example, he cited the construction of the Moscow–St. Petersburg high-speed railway, which will create additional opportunities for freight transportation and the development of port infrastructure. "We have the appropriate budget and clear plans, and all infrastructure constraints will be systematically eliminated in the coming years," he added.
The Minister also paid special attention to the "seamlessness" of digital processes. A National Digital Transport and Logistics Platform is being formed in Russia, elements of which are already being successfully implemented. Among them are electronic waybills for rail and air transport, and from 1 September they will also be implemented in road transport. Furthermore, a register of carriers and forwarders is being created. The head of the Ministry of Transport noted that digitalization will allow reducing the time for passing through checkpoints to 10 minutes due to the transition to electronic documents.
Speaking of international interaction, Andrey Nikitin emphasized that the transport system should be built on the principles of openness and cooperation. Russia is ready to share its technologies and experience with partners, as well as develop joint projects in the field of logistics and digital platforms.
In turn, Alexander Beglov spoke about plans to expand capabilities in port infrastructure, railway transport, and air communication to strengthen St. Petersburg's role as a major transport hub.
Chenguang Xu shared that for 40 years, China has been implementing a program of reform and opening up, within which a powerful infrastructure in the field of transport and logistics was created. "As part of the development plan for the next five years, large-scale measures are planned in China to transform the national transport system and improve service quality. We view current challenges as opportunities for trade and logistics diversification," he stated. The Deputy Minister also added that the exchange of best practices in the transport and logistics sector can become the basis for mutually beneficial cooperation. China is ready to share its experience and implement joint projects that will promote the economic development of all participants.
Saudi Arabia's transport strategy is aimed at transforming the country into a global logistics hub. This was reported by Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "If you look at the projects already implemented in our ports, airports, and on the road network, it becomes obvious how strong the created infrastructure is," he said. — The resilience of the entire logistics system is one of our main tasks. We have invested in modern technologies, and all our port terminals and airports are equipped with advanced solutions. We plan to develop new routes that will ensure interconnectivity and strengthen relations between the countries of the world."
Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, shared that the country decided to invest significantly in the development of railway infrastructure. Active work is also underway on merging the railway network with Oman, which opens up new opportunities for transporting cargo to Africa and Asia.
"We continue to invest in the development of the transport logistics network across the country and develop alternative routes. Russia plays an important role as an exporter of raw materials, and the development of its regions will contribute to global economic growth. Central Asia is also becoming a key player, and we are investing in the infrastructure of this region, connecting China with the global economy through Russia and the Middle East," he noted.
Ilkhom Makhkamov told those present about Uzbekistan's experience in the digitalization of the transport industry. "We are creating a single transport space in Central Asia where we can implement digitized transport documents, which will speed up the passage of international cargo through our territory," the minister emphasized. — Uzbekistan positions itself as an active participant in the process of digitalizing all operational processes in the field of transport. We are also open to integration with international transport corridors that are relevant in the context of modern global logistics challenges. We understand that no single universal transport corridor exists, and therefore we will work on integration into various routes."
Kokou Edem Tengue expressed the opinion that the African perspective must be taken into account in the context of changing maritime routes. Situations around the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz open up new opportunities for West Africa.
In particular, the Port of Lome, the largest container port in the Sahel region, handles about 30 million tons of goods annually and has immense regional significance. "We actively cooperate with Sahelian states such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which makes the Port of Lome the main logistics hub for these countries," he stated. — It is important to note that Africa depends on chemical fertilizers and grains produced in Russia. We believe that the opening of new sea routes between Africa and Russia can be carried out through the Port of Lomé."
The International Transport and Logistics Forum is held in accordance with instructions from the President of Russia to ensure the global competitiveness of Russia's transport corridors, including the implementation of decrees within the framework of national goals until 2030 and for the perspective of 2036.
The organizer of the ITLF is the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the operator is the Roscongress Foundation, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation.
The ITLF is intended to become a new platform for global dialogue on the development of the world transport system in an era of geopolitical changes.
Reported by PortNews (Russia).
