By the agreement of Ministers the representatives of the railway administrations of Lithuania and Belarus in one week will evaluate the proposals in order to recover decreased cargo flows. Russia wishes to have a discount system for railway tariffs according to which the discounts were set for some groups of cargo. In exchange Russia should ensure about 2 mil tons of cargo additionally to the volume carried by AB „Lietuvos geležinkeliai“.

 

„We will consider the request of Russia and search for solution that might help to recover cargo flows transported by „Lietuvos geležinkeliai“ to Kaliningrad, but at the same time we will look for solutions to recover cargo flows to Klaipeda port too. We cannot delay but we are to look for useful, real economic effect giving solutions for both parties“, – said E. Masiulis.

 

„We want to recover the level of cargo flows of 2008 to Kaliningrad port, therefore we will consider different solutions and during the crisis period we are to act operatively“, – said I. Levitin.

 

During the first quarter of this year the volumes of transported cargo to Kaliningrad region decreased by a half (comparing to 2008). There mostly decreased the transportation of coal (by 90 percent), timber (by 78 percent), black metals (by 59 percent) and oil products (by 53 percent) via the territory of Lithuania.

„The main influence for the decrease of cargo flows was made by the fall of Russian rouble, economic and financial crisis and without any doubt the increase of tariffs in Russia and Belarus”,- said E. Masiulis

 

Last December the members of trade, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation commission of Russia and Lithuania agreed that in order to maintain cargo flows via Klaipeda and Kaliningrad ports the countries should maintain this year the same cargo transportation by railways tariffs in the direction of Klaipeda and Kaliningrad ports.

 

AB „Lietuvos geležinkeliai” have fulfilled the decisions of the protocol and applied the same tariffs as they were in 2008 and even proposed discounts for transportation of cargo in Kaliningrad direction. But „Rusijos geležinkeliai“ (Russian railways) since the 1^st of January 2009 increased railway tariffs: for import-export cargo – by 5 percent, transit cargo – by 8,8 percent. „Baltarusijos geležinkeliai“(Belarus railways) since the 1^st of January 2009 increased railway tariffs by 8–10 percent, irrespective of the direction of transportation (to Klaipeda port or Klainingrad region).

 

 

Information of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Lithuania