Baltic States play an important role in ensuring traffic flows between Asia and Europe and the conclusion of partnerships for facilitating trade is essential for the transport of goods on the corridors which cross the above-mentioned countries. The establishment of sustainable transport corridors on the east-west axis stimulates transport volumes, infrastructure capacity and reduces the delivery time. For example, the idea of elaborating the transport corridor in this direction (as part of the INTERREG III B programme and of the Baltic Sea Programme 2007-2013) has triggered the elimination of transport bottlenecks: the traffic congestion problem was solved, the border crossing procedures were harmonised, measures for reducing the environmental impact were introduced and IT traffic management systems were implemented.
According to the analysis “Global Study on Trade and Transports in the East-West Transport Corridor” elaborated by SWECO AB Company (Sweden) in 2012, the value of trade on the east-west axis was of EUR 552 Billion (2010) and the annual value of goods was estimated at around EUR 12.7 Billion. Also, the GDP of the countries located on this corridor will double by 2030 and again by 2050. As long as transport demands depend on the GDP growth, transport on the East-West Corridor will record growth just like the GDP. “Therefore, the Corridor has an immense potential for transport growth. The volume of freight transport is expected to grow by 100%.
The corridor contributes to the sustainable development of the transport system and provides connections between transport hubs and facilitates mobility needs from the Baltic Sea transport markets and eastern countries to China. The countries involved in this project plan to develop partnerships to increase the rate of the corridor in the east-west transport market and to promote and increase the international mobility demand of sustainable transport.
Lithuania and Estonia, interested to collaborate with China
A significant contribution to these positive results was that of railways and ports which constantly manage to optimise vo-lumes. Under these circumstances, the Baltic States are every day more aware of the importance of trade with the Asian States by implementing projects and programmes for optimising freight flows.
Thus, for Lithuania, China is one of the most important partners in Asia. In 2011, the volume of trade increased and Lithuania exported goods estimated at EUR 58 Million and imported products worth EUR 5.5 Billion. For Lithuanian Railways (Lietuvosgeležinkeliai), the initiation of projects with China is part of the draft development strategy which included the inauguration of an office in China (in November 2012) and “this action will help expand and consolidate the relationships of the railway company with the railway company in China and with interested parties. Cooperation with this country will help us implement advanced technologies and will increase the freight volume between Lithuania and China”, declared the General Manager of Lietuvosgeležinkeliai, StasysDailydka.
“The decision to open this point in China was encouraged by the global economic and geo-political trends. This will enable the joint implementation of projects in the transport market between Asia and Europe”, declared VaidotasBalynas, Director of the Lithuanian company’s office.
The importance of increasing cooperation with the east has also become an important issue for Estonia. To that end, the Port of Tallinn has signed a cooperation agreement with the Chinese state agency CCOEC (China National Corporation for Overseas Economic Cooperation) on facilitating industrial parks for China’s export companies. “The contact network of CCOEC in China will significantly improve the visibility of the industrial parks located in the Port of Tallinn and will promote the opportunities created by the Chinese companies to the Port of Tallinn”, declared Ain Kaljurand, member of Port of Tallinn Board.
According to the report “GILD 100 2012 – the most valuable companies in Estonia”, the Port of Tallinn ranks 8th among the 100 companies as current market value. The Port of Muuga (the largest cargo port in Estonia) and Paldiski Port have a strong connection in the distribution chain of the goods delivered by Chinese companies which could establish production and distribution centres in Estonia. On the other hand, “ports offer services on customs processes and the EU legislative environment and their position is strategic and connects them to the markets in north-western Russia”, declared Kaljurand. Currently, the Port of Muuga develops extension projects consisting in the construction of a container terminal. Works are carried out by the Russian company Rail Garant and according to the Rail Garant Estonia Director, Pavel Makarov, the company has to finalize the works of the first phase of the project (including the construction of the railway line) by the summer of 2013. By the end of 2013 all works have to be completed so that the terminal could be commissioned in 2014. The capacity of the terminal will be of 300,000 TEUs by 2015. In January-October 2012, the freight volume handled in the eastern ports of the Baltic Sea increased by 6.3% (17.58 million tonnes). According to the category of goods, the impact of this growth was determined by the volume of oil (+ 10.6 million tonnes), coal (+5.4 million tonnes) and container freight (+ 2 million tonnes).
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