China, Ecology, Energy, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Lithuania, Transport

Eligijus Masiulis (left) at ASEM meeting. Photo: sumin.lt

On Wednesday, Asian and European states will approve of an action plan to make every effort to build a green, safe and efficient system of transport links, the Lithuanian Transport Ministry said.

The draft declaration by ASEM transport ministers highlights that ASEM cooperation involves Asian and European countries with a total population of over half of the entire world population. The trade volume of the said countries accounts for 60% of the total foreign trade; the countries produce over half of global gross domestic product. The green, safe and efficient system of Asian and European transport links is particularly important for economic growth and prosperity of the two continents, the ministers said. The joint meeting of ASEM transport ministers and business leaders allows for a constructive dialogue and cooperation, Lithuanian Transport Minister Eligijus Masiulis noted.

Minister Masiulis takes part in a session on efficient transport together with his counterparts from China, South Korea, Russia and Singapore. The session is also attended by representatives of such transport companies as China Shipping, Hanjin Co., Germany's railway company DB International and TNT Logistics, writes LETA/ELTA.

On Tuesday, the Lithuanian transport minister had talks with China's shipping company COSCO, the director of Maersk Line for Asia and heads of China Shipping.

"The ASEM meeting focuses on many areas of cooperation, including the efficiency of transport links. We indeed have much work to do to improve communications between the continents: to build a modern infrastructure and logistics chains, install intelligent transport systems, simplify border crossing, harmonise rates," the press release quoted Masiulis as saying.

The minister stresses the action plan for improving the carriage of goods and passengers as an especially important result of ASEM cooperation.