Press Center

30.11.2016

Opening of the Tenth International Forum and Exhibition Transport of Russia.

On November 30, the Tenth Anniversary Forum and Exhibition Transport of Russia was opened in Gostiny Dvor, Moscow.

A welcoming address was made by Maksim Sokolov, Minister of Transport of the Russian federation. “A meeting at a transport forum always brings development prospects. It is a look into the future”. According to the Minister’s opinion, today, the world is changing rapidly dictating its own rules, and Russia's transport system must keep pace with those changes. “To introduce something new, boldness and vigour are necessary, but when the key moment comes, we need unwavering resolution. A wise man said, to dare is to lose your footing momentarily, not to dare is to lose yourself”, Maksim Sokolov added.

Sergey Ivanov, Special Representative of the President of Russia for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport, read out a welcome letter of President Vladimir Putin to the participants and guests of the Forum and Exhibition Transport of Russia and noted that the Forum was a long-awaited event for the industry. Speaking about the key challenges of State policy, Sergey Ivanov said: “Today, it is necessary to increase the competitiveness of domestic transportation infrastructure and overcome the limitation of economic growth. We also need to pay attention to the formation of new international transport corridors and enhancing the accessibility and quality of the services”.

Sergey Ivanov made video contact with Vyborg Shipyard to webcast flag raising onboard the new Russian icebreaker Novorossiysk.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Igor Levitin, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation. He thanked Maksim Sokolov for respecting the tradition of holding the key industry event: Today, Russian transport companies have a discussion area. I wish the Forum a strong confidence in the future and new projects that will change Russian transport infrastructure”.

According to José Manuel Viegas, Secretary-General-elect of the International Transport Forum, Russia is a key player in developing transport communication between Europe and Asia. At the end of the opening, a symbolic time capsule ceremony was held. The capsule contained drawings and creative works of transport universities students devoted to the transport of the future. It will be opened in ten years, at the 20th Anniversary Forum Transport of Russia.

After the ceremony, honoured guests got acquainted with the stands of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, RZD, Aeroflot, Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), TransContainer, Sibmost, Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport, Rosmorport, Avtodor and others.

The business day was continued by an open discussion with Russian Ministry of Transport Business. Government. People. The Minister and his deputies summed up the work done for the year. First of all, they spoke about freight and passenger transportation and about tariffs for these services. In his report, Maksim Sokolov noted that the main achievement of transport industry is its stable and smooth operation despite all economic crises.

Valeriy Okulov, Deputy Minister of Transport, dwelled on the growth of domestic air travel in Russia. “In the last three years, we have opened and restored more than 200 regional routes. This year, the number of regional flights passengers will reach ten million people”.

Replying to the question about the future of low-cost airlines asked by Evelina Zakamskaya, moderator of the discussion, Valeriy Okulov said that it is necessary to increase their number in Russia. “We must create a competitive environment in the low-cost airlines sector, just like everywhere in the world. This will make them more customer-oriented”.

Nikolay Asaul, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, reported on the development of off-street transportation and metro in Russia. “Today all the cities hosting World Cup 2018 receive additional subsidies for the construction of new metro stations. First of all, they are, of course, Nizhniy Novgorod and St. Petersburg”. Other issues discussed were future draft bills and transport infrastructure. Moreover, the participants answered the questions from the audience.