Russia's Delo Group, China's Xiamen C&D Group agree to develop sea routes, infrastructure

MOSCOW. May 17 (Interfax) - Delo Group and China's Xiamen C&D Group have agreed to build joint logistics chains to support foreign trade, develop sea shipping routes and modernize terminal and warehouse infrastructure in Russia and China, the Russian logistics group reported.

According to official information, the Chinese company sees Russia as a priority market for investment and business development and is interested in having a reliable logistics partner in the country.

Delo Group, in turn, is prepared to provide a complete range of logistics services for joint projects, including railway, marine and overland shipping, port infrastructure and customs processing, the company said.

The issues being worked out also include possibilities for ensuring stable mutual settlements, the company said.

"The strategic goal of our work is to create a joint venture that will provide the whole range of services within the context of trade between Russia and China," Delo Group founder and chairman Sergei Shishkarev was quoted as saying in the press release.

During its visit to Russia, the Xiamen C&D Group delegation visited Delo Group's marine terminals in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region. The group said the Chinese side expressed an interest in exploring joint projects to develop the Ust-Luga Container Terminal, a division of Global Ports, which is controlled by Delo Group.

Delo Group operates marine container terminals in the Azov-Black Sea, Baltic and Far East basins, a network of railway container terminals and a fleet of containers and well cars. Shishkarev owns 51% of the company and state corporation Rosatom owns the other 49%.

The group's transport and logistics business includes intermodal container operator TransContainer and multimodal transport operator Ruscon, and its stevedoring business includes DeloPorts and leading Russian container terminal operator Global Ports.