There is a way; we need a will

THE FRIENDLY SHOULDER OF TACIS

Mr.Jorgen Leisner,
Master of Technical Sciences

         The project entitled "North West Regional Transport Development" (TNRUS 9504) holds a special place among the numerous TACIS projects, which are set by agreements of the European Community and members of CIS (Community of Independent States). It deals with the complex development of the transport system in the only region that has common borders with Western European countries. These problems will be solved together with the Northwest Association and other stakeholders in the transport sector. Our reporter spoke about this with the head of the TACIS project Mr. Jorgen Leisner, Master of Technical Sciences.
         "Mr. Leisner, what made you begin work with the TNRUS 9504 project, which you headed two years ago?"
         "There are many reasons. The Northwest Region is very important for economic communication between Russia and the European countries".
         "The project is dealing with all the different transport systems - railways, seaports, roads, air transport and inland waterways and it is a challenging task to participate in the development of this important transport system constituting the door to the rich and prospective region of the enormously big country Russia. (I am coming from Denmark, a country smaller than Novgorod oblast). Another reason that the Joint Venture constituted by three big European consulting companies, Rambol from Denmark, DHV from Holland and SPEA from Italy won the competition about this project.
         Allow me to explain somewhat more about the content of the project. There are three main issues to be solved within the frames of Northwest Regional Transport Development, namely:
         1. Analysis and forecast of the transport flows in the region leading to a "Transport Development Strategy".
         2. Establishment of a special technical office within the Northwest Association destined to coordinate and develop project concerning transport infrastructure in the entire region.
         3. Assistance to the Northwest Association and a number of other transport authorities in the region about a number of specific investment projects.
         We are now working with Murmansk and Arkhangelsk ports. We are developing a Road Rehabilitation Master plan for the main network. We are looking into possibilities of establishing an Intermodal Service System (efficient use of a combination of transport systems) and many other projects.
         "Let us specify the most important issues... "
         "There are many important issues and they are all tied together. But let me very shortly say, that development of efficient transport systems is one of the basic necessities for economic development, and economic developments and activities are basic conditions for profitable operations of the transport systems, in a way it is the old story about the hen and the egg. It is necessary for Russia to enter into positive spiral with increased activities both in the economic sector and in the transport sector. One way to enter into such a spiral is to establish attractive investment conditions in Russian production."
         "How can that be achieved? One has to study the supply and demand in all transport areas and economic subjects. And then one should give advice about what is more profitable and what is cheaper for the transport companies and their customers."
         "The Technical office of Northwest Association, established by TACIS, will work on solving these problems. It will coordinate the realization of transport projects, using the latest scientific methods following the Transport Development Strategy. We expect such a structure to be established already this year."
         "We are looking of the scheme of the Northwest transport system. What components of this system, in TACIS experts' opinion, are the best for developing and enlarging the Western Europe - Russia - Caucasus - Middle Asia - Far East corridors?"
         "You were right in saying "corridors", for there are many of them. For instance, there is international corridor No.9 that will link Northeastern Europe with Southern Russian ports, Novorossiisk and Astrakhan, through Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Moscow by railways and waterways.
         "Our project envisages a study of the entire mosaics of transport communications in the Northwest. And there are dozens of thousand kilometers of waterways and motorways, thousands kilometers of railways. Which are the most promising ones and do demand development, judging from the state of infrastructure and passenger and freight turnover? We study these issues too. Our overall conclusions are that the capacity of the actual transport system is sufficient to cover the transport demand for many years to come, but it is important that these expensive systems are constantly maintained."
         "Our experts think that freights from Murmansk, Karelia and Archangelsk can be shipped directly to Central Asia and Far East without passing through Central Russia. This is a very important strategic task, providing the future intensity reduction in Central Russian railways due to the creation of extra freight streams in the Northwest."
         "In this connection the TACIS project carries out independent expertise of technical, economic and feasibility of the project elaborated by Russian specialists on establishment of railway Archangelsk - Syktyvkar- Perm directly (Belkomur project - the White Sea - Komi Republic - the Urals). Establishment of such a trunk will be carried out by construction of four new sections of railways between existing lines, which in their turn will be modernized. Total length of the new trunk is 1300 kilometers, of which 700 kilometers is new construction. The trunk will allow transporting 25 million tons of freight annually. Freight transport distances will reduce considerably, particularly by 420 kilometers on the direction to Archangelsk, and by 820 kilometers on the direction to the Middle Urals."
         "Indeed, cargo turnover has reduced in every field of transport, but there are all reasons to believe that they will increase every year in the Northwest region. First of all for imports. And I am sure that export supplies will increase, too, in time.
         "Railways as well as motorways and waterways will play the key role here."
         "Which currently employ less than one half of their capacity..."
         "This is just a current situation. Indeed, cargo turnover has reduced in every field of transport, exept pipelines and the processing of exported and imported materials, but who can say for sure that it will stay this way?
         "This is why the TACIS project predicts, and not groundlessly, that freight transport will increase by railways, sea and river ports. And obviously, the transport industry has plenty of reserves to do this job".
         "It is known that the TACIS project is sponsored by EC countries, in other words, by European taxpayers. How do they feel about the expenses that might never be paid back? Or is it done our of charity, which the Russians are already used to?"
         "We treat Russia's future optimistically in our program. And the EC countries will benefit if well-developed partnership relations in European countries come over to our colleagues in Russia. For it is not just about the economic and financial interests of certain companies, consortiums and other structures, but about the interests of our people, so that their living standards would not differ so dramatically.
         "Russia has always been and will be one of the main economic partners of the Western Europe. And if a good partner is in trouble, we will always provide friendly help."
        

Interview by Viktor Yurasov