Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Good for Business, Lithuania, Railways, Transport

The conference is organised because Lithuania aims to strengthen its economic cooperation with Turkey and to extend the route of the shuttle train Viking, reports BC Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As the Turkish economy is booming, the country's trade volume and the flow of goods to Europe are increasing; the extension of the Viking train route to the Black Sea region would open up new business opportunities and provide real economic benefits to Lithuania. This international conference is a great possibility to establish useful business contacts, to share practical experience and new ideas, to find common interests and to discuss prospects for future cooperation.

During the event, Turkish businessmen will be acquainted with the project of the freight train Viking; possibilities to extend the train route to the Middle East via Istanbul, Samsun and other Turkey's seaports will also be evaluated.

The conference will be attended by representatives of the largest and most influential Turkish, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Lithuanian cargo transporters, expeditors, logistics companies and associations, shippers and manufacturers, also by representatives from Lithuanian and Turkish foreign and transport ministries, ports and railways.

The freight train Viking was launched in February 2003. Its advantages are good timing (the train covers the distance from Odessa to Klaipeda less than in 56 hours), facilitated customs procedures and prices (transportation tariffs are a third or even 50 per cent less than the road haulage rates). The train crosses the external EU border in 30 minutes, and, with regard to this, the project does not have any analogue in the EU.