News

Closer cooperation between Asian and European countries with the view of ensuring a long-term transport development, beneficial mutual economic relations and opportunities for the economic growth - such is the main idea endorsed by the Vilnius Declaration, which today has been adopted by the participants of the first Asian and European Transport Ministers' Meeting (ASEM TMM). "The first ASEM Transport Ministers' Meeting is concluding by the Vilnius Declaration, which is intended for the opening of a more rapid, more cost effective and safer connection with Europe" - said Eligijus Masiulis, Minister of Transport and Communications of Lithuania.

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Eligijus Masiulis, and the Minister of Transport of Singapore, Hwee Hua Lim, signed a bilateral intergovernmental agreement on air transport. "We are pleased that the first Transport Ministers' Meeting has become an excellent opportunity for dialogues and agreements of different countries. The intergovernmental agreement signed today by Lithuania and Singapore will open more opportunities for air transportation between the countries and regions" - said Minister Masiulis.

During the Asia-Europe Transport Development Forum and the first ASEM Transport Ministers' Meeting, which took place in Vilnius, the winners of the Intermodal Awards for best transport practices were congratulated.

Tomorrow, on October 20, at 13.30, Press Conference will be held after the finalisation of the First Asia-Europe Transport Ministers' Meeting. At the Press Conference will be presented conclusions of the ASEM TMM and Vilnius Declaration ready for signature.

Today, in Vilnius, has started the first ever in the world Asia-Europe Transport Ministers' Meeting (ASEM), which is attended by delegations of 33 countries of both continents, as well as high-level officials of the European Commission, and senior officials of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat.

Rail Baltica section Warsaw-Kaunas-Riga-Tallinn-Helsinki is an integral part of the future Trans-European Transport Network TEN-T, which will contribute to the creation of the competitive European railway network. This provision was endorsed in a joint declaration, which was signed by Ministers of Transport of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland during the conference of ministers on the development of Rail Baltica.

Today Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications, Eligijus Masiulis, and Polish Minister of Infrastructure, Cezary Grabarczyk, signed a bilateral intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in aviation and maritime search and rescue.

Lithuania, Belarus and China will cooperate in the development of the initiative of the East-West transport corridor. This is provided by the joint declaration, which after the tripartite meeting was signed today by Eligijus Masiulis, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania,  Ivan Shcherbo, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Belarus, and  Li Shenglin, Minister of Transport of the People's Republic of China.

On 19 October 2009, at 9:00, the first ever organised Asia-Europe Transport Development Forum will start in Vilnius, Lithuania. Business proposals for future cooperation of both continents and key messages of the Forum will be delivered to the 1^st ASEM Transport Ministers' Meeting taking place in Vilnius on 19-20 October.