Europe-Western China Corridor to Become Shortcut Between Europe, Asia-Pacific – Putin

Map of Russia

PAVLODAR. Sept 19 (Interfax) – Innovations will help make transportation systems more reliable and effective, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The introduction of innovations will help significantly enhance the reliability and effectiveness of transportation systems, first of all under the project to build a transportation corridor between Europe and Western China. It will run from St. Petersburg to the border with China across Kazan, Orenburg, Aktyubinsk and Almaty,” he told the 9th Russian-Kazakh inter-regional cooperation forum on Wednesday.

“This project would seriously strengthen Russia’s and Kazakhstan’s transportation infrastructure and build shortcuts between the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region and Europe,” he said.

Putin also said that, “the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space are opening new and vast opportunities for promoting bilateral cooperation.”

“We have a colossal market at our disposal with more than 165 million consumers, as well as an opportunity to dovetail laws and ensure a free flow of capital, services and workforce. We hope Russian and Kazakh regions will use these competitive advantages to the maximum,” Putin said.

“There is an exceptionally important issue on our agenda today – innovation cooperation. Russian and Kazakh regions have similar tasks to tackle and they need to diversify sources of economic growth, modernize the infrastructure and build up their scientific, technological and investment potential,” Putin said.

Seventy-three of the 83 Russian regions maintain business contacts with Kazakh partners, he said. “More than 400 joint ventures are operating in border zones,” the Russian president said.

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