Belarusian cargo transportation by rail to Russian ports more than doubled in 2023 - minister

MINSK. Jan 30 (Interfax) - The transportation of Belarusian goods by rail to Russian ports saw a 2.3-fold increase in 2023, Belarusian Transport and Communications Minister Alexei Lyakhnovich said.

"We significantly enhanced the volume of Belarusian cargo transportation by rail to Russian ports in 2023 - it grew by 2.3 times year-on-year. Twenty have been used. The bulk has been transshipped via ports in the northwest of Russia," Lyakhnovich was quoted by the Transport and Communications Ministry's press service as saying at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State on Monday.

"We are currently working under two intergovernmental agreements - on cooperation in the transportation and transshipment of petroleum products and on developing the transportation of individual types of cargo (fertilizers, timber cargo, metal products)," he said.

"At the meeting of the Supreme State Council, the parties discussed steps to develop/upgrade railroad infrastructure on the way to northwestern Russian ports," the ministry's press service said.