Russia lacks transport capacities to transshipping cargoes for export

Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said on Friday that Russia lacked transport facilities in 2001-2002 for transshipping cargoes, including those going for export. Speaking in Moscow he specified that it concerns such cargoes as coal, raw materials and grain. According to Kasyanov, to solve problems which arise, among other things, at the junction of various transportation means "The Development of the Country's Transportation System" federal targeted programme will have to be corrected.

The Premier pointed out that Russia occupies a vast territory and therefore transport predetermines the economic development. He also stressed that the transportation infrastructure was formed in the Soviet period and added that over the last three years a lot had been done for tailoring the transportation system to the requirements of the growing economy. Kasyanov also said that new port installations, aerodromes, and railway branch-lines had been commissioned.

The head of government said the development of the transportation infrastructure is the state's top priority. He called upon the staff workers of the transport ministry and the railways ministry to concentrate their attention precisely on the infrastructure, and also to create competitive conditions for the work of operators' companies as far as various transportation means are concerned .