V. Muntiyan: Route over the Kerch Strait is a promising infrastructure project of Ukraine and the RF

posted 31 January 2014 10:44

The construction of the transport route over the Kerch Strait shall become a key project among the realized infrastructure Ukrainian-Russian projects, the Government’s commissioner for cooperation with the Russian Federation, CIS countries, Eurasian Economic Community and other regional associations Valeriy Muntiyan explains.

“This significant infrastructure project will facilitate ensuring and development of a reliable and stable all-year-round transport communication. And Ukraine, which is so-to-say a connecting knot between Europe and Asia, between west and east, just should use this advantage,” Valeriy Muntiyan said.

He reminded that Ukraine has a unique geostrategic location as it is situated on the junction of the transport routes between Asia which is developing fast and Europe which consumes a huge amount of products and a growing market of Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth which the specialist estimate in USD 2 billion. Therefore, Ukraine should make sure to take part in the projects of creating transnational transport corridors being developed in the world.

The agreement on joint actions in organization of the transport route over the Kerch Strait was reached on the outcomes of the 6-th meeting of Ukraine-Russia interstate commission. A bridge could have shortened the way from Kherson (Ukraine) to Novorossiysk (RF) by 450 kilometers.

As informed earlier, there are considered several variants of the passage. The first – only for the motor transport, the second – the speedway will be supplied with the railway, the third – envisages gas pipeline. The fourth variant includes the abovementioned plus high voltage grid.

According to the Government commissioner, a special intergovernmental panel has been created. On the first stage the working group will suggest the place of location and main technical parameters of the transport route.

“It is a promising powerful project and investments for it will definitely be. Huge players are interested in it: Europe, the RF, China and Kazakhstan. Hence, it has a strong multiplier effect and encourage the development of transit potential of the country, which shall ensure increasing of currency flows and raise the level of global competitiveness of Ukraine,” Valeriy Muntiyan said.