Transport Ministers of the SCO member states are discussing ways of transport infrastructure coordinated development in Ufa

UFA, 15 May 2015. /Bashinform News Agency, Elvira Latypova/. In Ufa, at Hilton hotel, which was built on the eve of the SCO Summit, the 7th meeting of Transport Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was opened. It is attended by the Heads of Transport Departments of the SCO member states, the Transport Ministers of Afghanistan, Belarus, Mongolia and Sri Lanka, the SCO Secretary General, International Road Transport Union, representatives of the CIS and ESCAP and the Executive Secretary of the SCO Business Council, the heads of major transport companies and associations.

In July, Ufa will host the SCO Summit. "The Republic of Bashkortostan is among the ten leading regions in terms of economic development, its transport network. Its transport communications are actively involved in servicing Russia's foreign trade with the SCO member states. The city of Ufa - the capital of the republic - is one of the largest economic, cultural, sports, scientific and transport centres of Russia", the Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said.

The Head of Republic Rustem Khamitov underlined the significance of the SCO global transport projects for Bashkortostan. In particular, he noted the importance of the transport corridor Europe - Western China. "We know that the People's Republic of China has already completed construction of its part, Kazakhstan virtually completes the works this year. And now it's our turn. This corridor is very important for us as almost 300 kilometers of the road will pass through the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan", Rustem Khamitov said.

The meeting participants will discuss development of cooperation in the field of road, railway and air transportation, the organization of new transport infrastructure, and new projects launching.