The selection of the Illichivsk seaport as site for the CIS Coordination Transport Meeting (CTM) confirmed not only Ukraine’s interest in attracting transit freight traffic to its railroads and seaports, but also its importance in the process of allocation of spheres of influence on world transport corridors.
In exchange for this, the Ukrainian side practically refrained from taking part in the decision concerning motorized freight transportation. Such a “constructive attitude,” as well as the warm welcome given the guests by the Illichivsk mayor’s office and the port administration allowed Ukraine to gain for itself the privilege of holding the next regular conference on sea and rail transport. In addition, the next 18th meeting of CTM participants will also be held in Illichivsk.
The deputies ministers of transport, which headed delegations, understood each other so well that the two-day program was completed in only 5-6 hours of work. The draft agreement on CIS member-states cooperation in the field of taxing road freight transportation was adopted practically unanimously. Together with the agreement on international motor transport (partial exemption of CIS transport companies from taxes and tolls) adopted earlier, the draft agreement will be submitted to the meeting of CIS International Economic Committee (IEC).
Personal communications turned out to be more important than any paper agreements. The participants discussed coordinated activity aimed at excluding motor transport companies from third countries from CIS markets. The motif is simple — at 4% the specific value of motor transport in world transportation activity the profit of trucking companies reaches 27%. This is why Russia tried to find common ground with Belarus, which seized up to one quarter of its neighbor’s trucking market.
It was pointed out at the meeting, that Ukraine, planning to invest up to Hr 2 billion in organization of Trans-European corridors by 2005, was not left out in the cold either. According to its request, until the end of May an issue has to be solved in principle concerning return of 20,000 freight containers (worth $56 million), both those belonging to the Illichivsk seaport, and those which were spread over CIS before the USSR collapsed. Moreover, the Illichivsk seaport expressed its readiness to cooperate with any partners in the matter of returning shipments which had disappeared. The Day was told that the mayor of Illichivsk practically convinced Belarus to return 500,000 tons of potassium chloride. They also discussed the transit of Middle Eastern cotton through Illichivsk.
The return of freight traffic is directly related to the organization of a Europe-Asia transport corridor, which will pass through Illichivsk. The route will link European countries with Asia. For this purpose TACIS has allocated ECU 10 million, to build separate terminal for ferry transport from Illichivsk to Varna and Poti. Construction is to be completed this year, which will allow the port to participate in handling about two million tons of additional freight. According to the port director Stanislav Stretka, participation in implementation of this program will already in 1998 enable the port to increase its freight volume from 10 to 12.5 million tons.






