Belarus to actively participate in Russian transport corridor upgrade - ambassador in Moscow

MINSK. March 12 (Interfax) - Belarus intends to take active part in the modernization of Russian transport corridors in the direction of seaports, Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoi said.

"Implementing new joint projects is one of the aims of the Union State Supreme State Council resolution concerning active Belarusian participation in the modernization of the railroad infrastructure as far as the St. Petersburg and Murmansk ports, active use of the capabilities of the Eastern Polygon of Railroads, the Northern Sea Route, and considerable intensification of the work on the North-South corridor," Krutoi was quoted by the BelTA state news agency as saying at a meeting of the Union State Council of Ministers' High Level Group in Minsk on Tuesday.

Last year Belarus increased its cargo transportation via Russia's transport corridors by 90%, he said. "We are not stopping at this; already, growth under the agreements signed between our transport ministries, has been at almost 25% over the first two months, from a very high base of the past two years," Krutoi said.

In addition, Minsk considers very significant the package of three-year integration measures approved by the Union State's Supreme State Council in St. Petersburg in January this year, he said. "The Belarusian Economy Ministry estimates that implementing the core areas would increase our country's GDP by $8 billion. I will recall that last year our GDP grew by 3.9%. This was, in fact, an expected result of our integration. We assume that, as a result of implementing the core areas, the goal of bringing our countries' GDP per capita closer will be gradually achieved," Krutoi said.

Also, last year trade between Belarus and Russia exceeded $50 billion, he said.