5^th International Conference "The Future of the Baltic Ports"

04.11.2004

As part of the Transport and International Transit Exhibition "TRANSTEC 2004", on October 11-12 this year in Sankt-Petersburg, a conference was held on the prospective transport cooperation across the Baltic ports. The conference was attended by 200 representatives coming from all Baltic states, inclusive of the delegation from Poland acting for Polish seaports, shipyards and shipping companies, headed by the Under-Secretary of State for Maritime Economy at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Witold Gorski. The conference had been promoted by the Association of Russian Commercial Seaports - ASOP and the Baltic Ports Organization - BPO.

As of May 1st, 2004, the Baltic Sea is the internal sea of the European Union, except for Russia. Hence the venue of the conference held the first time ever in Russia appears of major significance in terms of the future business cooperation across the entire region of the Baltic Sea. This region currently ranks among the most rapidly developing regions in the world. Sankt-Petersburg along with the entire Russian area of the Gulf of Finland is the scene of Russia's intense economic growth, as well as a major transportation hub of global importance situated at the crossroads of international transportation trails and, at the same time, a construction site of new port infrastructure coupled with the upgrades on the existing facilities under way - among the others in the ports of Sankt-Petersburg, Ust, Prymorsk, Visotsk and Viborg. The currently implemented "Russia's Transportation Strategy" provides for the region of Sankt-Petersburg to be seen as Russia's future major hub in terms of the transportation and maritime commerce. The cargo handling volumes recorded at the Russian Baltic ports have already exceeded the total turnover of Russian ports on the Black Sea. Additionally, Russia is becoming a significant transit country when it comes to the worldwide trade - the turnover recorded for the last year amounted to 189 million tonnes in the North - South direction, as well as the trans-Siberian East - West direction.

During the conference and the exhibition TRANSTEC, part of the Polish Day, under the patronage of the Economy and Trade Department at the General Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Sankt-Petersburg and the Ministry of Infrastructure, a presentation was held of Polish ports, shipyards and shipping lines, that was predominantly aimed at the promotion of the Polish maritime economy and new opportunities for business cooperation resulting from the enlargement of the European Union. The delegation of the Port of Gdansk headed by the President of the Board of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA, Andrzej Kasprzak presented the current opportunities for transport cooperation, as well as the port infrastructure development projects comprised under the European transportation system and combined with the North - South and trans-Siberian international transport trails using the Baltic motorways of sea.

The conference provided vital grounds for the exchange of information and practical experience in terms of developing the international transport corridors, as well as rendering of port, logistical and telecommunication services. The expansion of transport infrastructure, inclusive of the Baltic Sea ports, remains of pivotal importance for the commercial exchange not only between the European Union and Russia, but also when it comes to the transit goods in Russia's foreign exchange with the oversees countries. The Port of Gdansk is actively participating in this commercial exchange by means of providing cargo handling services in, for example, the transit of Russian crude oil. Considering the fact that 30-50% of Russia's cargo turnover in export, import and transit is already effected at the Baltic ports, the conference demonstrated the need for cooperation across the ports of the Baltic Sea as far as the prospective development of transport infrastructure is concerned.