OREANDA-NEWS. April 20, 2009. As part of a visit by a Russian Railways (RZD) delegation to Uzbekistan, RZD’s CEO Vladimir Yakunin held a bilateral meeting with the Chairman of the Board of State Joint-Stock Railway Company “Uzbekiston temir yullari” (Uzbek Railways) Achilbay Ramatov, reported the press-centre of RZD.

The heads of the two companies discussed the prospects for developing export-import and transit freight shipments between Russian and Uzbek railways, as well as the efficient utilization and development of railway infrastructure. One particular issue raised was container shipments between ports in the Russian Far East and Uzbekistan.

Yakunin pointed out that there is a container train service on the Nakhodka – Vostochnaya – Alma-Ata – Assdake (Uzbekistan) route between Russia and Uzbekistan. In 2008, the route was used by 105 container trains carrying 11,064 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent). In January and February of this year, it was used by 9 trains carrying 900 TEUs.

“The parties agreed, both on a bilateral basis and in the context of the Council for Rail Transport of the CIS and Baltic States, to develop and adopt a common system of standardization and certification of the rolling stock and equipment they produce and repair”, announced Yakunin after the meeting.

According to RZD’s CEO, Uzbek Railways have agreed to join the Programme of Joint Action by the Russian and Central Asian railway systems to implement the Declaration of Common Approaches to an international railway development strategy.

Yakunin met Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. In a bilateral format the two men discussed the prospects for collaboration between Russia and Uzbekistan in the rail transport sector and in the context of the Council for Rail Transport of the CIS and Baltic states.