Mikhail Mishustin attends the 18th Transport of Russia International Forum

The Prime Minister visited the exhibition, addressed the forum's plenary session, and presented state awards to transport sector workers. Additionally, he presented the Vladimir Obraztsov Award, conferred by the Government for achievements in the field of transport science and technology.

Mikhail Mishustin's remarks at the forum's plenary session:

Good afternoon, friends and guests,

I am delighted to welcome you all to the International Transport Forum, now in its 18^th iteration. This forum has consistently served as a hub for leading experts and the heads of major companies in the sectors of logistics, industry, and construction.

I would like to extend a special acknowledgment to the representatives from the Russian regions, who are actively participating in both the exhibition and the business programme. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of the Governors.

We are also honoured by the presence of our partners from friendly nations. We warmly welcome all international guests who are committed to engaging in an honest and open dialogue with Russia. I am confident that there exists tremendous potential for expanding constructive cooperation for the mutual benefit of our peoples.

In spite of the ongoing pressure from sanctions, the transport industry continues to develop steadily. This year, both passenger and freight traffic have shown positive trends, with growth for the first nine months estimated at approximately 3 percent and 6 percent, respectively.

These results highlight the high adaptability of all modes of transport and the resilience of their operations, although there remain declines in certain segments. This is attributable to the significant changes that have taken place in international logistics, including the withdrawal of foreign cruise companies from visiting Russian ports.

The President has underscored the necessity of enhancing the capacities of the transport sector to make it more efficient and modern. The quality of life for our citizens, industrial growth, tourism and trade, and the strengthening of our entire national economy largely depend on the precise, well-coordinated, and reliable functioning of this sector.

We are allocating substantial and significant funds for the development of the sector and the creation of the required infrastructure within the regions. The annual funding amount for all planned activities under the relevant state programme exceeds 1.5 trillion roubles.

The Government is currently in the final stages of developing new national projects that are set to launch in January 2025. Their primary objective is to provide systemic support for the highest priority areas, with each area represented by a separate federal project.

Foremost among these projects is the construction of a backbone railway network, including high-speed railways, and also sea ports, airfields, and checkpoints. A range of solutions being developed will assist in enhancing navigation on the main river routes. Today, we observed a presentation from the Perm Territory showcasing one such project. Other key initiatives include digital transformation, and of course, particular attention will be directed towards strengthening human resources.

Over the next six years, we will allocate a total of 1 trillion roubles to implement these plans under the Efficient Transport System project. Furthermore, the draft federal budget for the next three years has already earmarked over half a trillion roubles for these purposes. We anticipate that tomorrow, the State Duma will adopt the country's main financial document in its third and final reading.

I will elaborate on the main tasks to be addressed. Civil aviation is still facing some of the most difficult and sensitive ones.

Large work is in full swing now to redesign components for the entire line of aircraft. It includes developing and manufacturing engines, a wide range of modern avionics, advanced materials, a huge number of units, assemblies and other equipment, right down to the interior of the cabins. Each element must meet the most stringent requirements for quality, safety, and comfort.

This requires time, but also maximum concentration of all resources. No country has ever faced the need to overcome a technological challenge of this magnitude in such a short time. In fact, this is a unique opportunity for our country, our science, and industry; for all of us. The Russian air fleet must acquire a qualitatively new look based on its own technological solutions.

Now preparations are being completed to launch serial productions. Cooperation chains are being formed within the country, and hundreds and thousands of reliable contractors are being selected. Next year, we expect the certification of the flagship MS-21 to be completed and its deliveries to airlines to begin.

It is important to launch mass production of all kinds of aircraft as soon as possible, including the completely updated Superjets, as well as the Tupolev Tu-214, Ilyushin Il-96, Ilyushin Il-114, and the Baikal aircraft for local airlines.

Plans on helicopters are similar. All necessary funding for this has been identified. State support measures for aircraft manufacturing are included in a separate federal project, which is incorporated in the new national project for industrial support of transport mobility.

It is necessary that our specialised educational institutions, airports, and air companies prepare to quickly receive and master advanced models of equipment.

The President has set a goal to increase the intensity of air traffic within the country by 1.5 times in six years. In order to do this, more than a third of the airport infrastructure must also be modernised. At least 75 airfields will be ungraded, which will help expand the route network and launch more direct flights without a transfer in Moscow.

This work is underway, and I would like to highlight that it is continuous. Today, a new air terminal opened in Ulan-Ude during our tour of the exhibition. I have visited Ulan-Ude quite recently and known about these plans, but I did not expect that this would happen in just a few months. That is, all the deadlines were met.

I would like to point out that the number of flights must increase while strictly preserving their affordability for our citizens. When choosing subsidised destinations, the needs of local residents must be taken into account first and foremost. I would like to ask that this work be continued in close contact with the regions.

Railroads are another key area of focus on our list of priorities. We possess extensive experience, expertise, and technological capabilities to launch projects of any level of complexity. Last spring marked the beginning of the construction of the Moscow-St Petersburg high-speed railway. The first next-generation trains are scheduled to be put in service in just four years, meaning that all participants in this collaborative effort must be guided by a renewed sense of urgency and strictly adhere to the schedule.

The railway will cross six Russian regions with a combined population of 30 million people. The accessibility of many cities for tourists will, without a doubt, increase many times over and ramp up the multiplier effect for related industries, providing a strong boost to local economies. Regions, the hospitality sector, and entrepreneurs must be ready for this. There will be need for auxiliary routes and a whole set of additional measures.

Expanding the core rail network is crucial if we want to strengthen trade ties with our international partners. Following the President's instructions, we are working to increase the capacity of the Eastern Operating Domain, the Sea of Azov-Black Sea and Northwestern directions, as well as the North-South corridor.

In addition, in the coming years, we will by all means need to upgrade border crossing points and to implement electronic document processing, among other things.

This is particularly critical for priority sections where the rail border crossings' throughput capacity needs to be more than doubled and road crossing capacity needs to be nearly quadrupled. Experts estimate that the inspection time for vehicles could technically be reduced to just 10 minutes.

A promising digital solution that significantly speeds up the border crossing process was displayed at a recently held exhibition. It must be scaled up if its effectiveness is proven in practice.

Importantly, the successful implementation of this solution will be vastly beneficial for transporting cargo along international transport corridors. According to the President's instruction, these volumes should grow by at least 50 percent within six years compared to the 2021 levels. This represents a significant challenge for us.

This project calls for closer cooperation with the manufacturing industry, agricultural producers, and extractive industries.

Expanding seaports is vital to this effort. Last year, their capacity reached an all-time high of 1.36 billion tonnes, and continues to grow. Over six years, their capacity will increase by over 200 million tonnes. Businesses need new specialised terminals for exporting chemical, agricultural, and other products.

Special attention should be given to 15 core ports, of which the key ones include Elga, Vanino, Vostochny, and Murmansk with its deep-water port providing direct access to the World Ocean bypassing straits.

It is likewise critical to expand the capabilities of internal waterways, which we extensively discussed during the exhibition using the Perm Region as a case study.

River transport provides services to major industrial centres in the regions. It helps reduce railway and motorway traffic congestion, and also acts as a tourist attraction. In order to revivify this sector, we prioritised the efforts to deepen the major rivers' channels and to build and to renovate hydroelectric complexes on the Volga and Don rivers. Without a doubt, all navigational facilities must be brought up to standard.

A few words about the Northern Sea Route are in order. This project is among our key priorities. It is the shortest and safest route to the Asia-Pacific countries.

Cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route is steadily approaching 40 million tonnes, and we expect it to exceed 100 million tonnes by late 2020s. It is essential to make our seaports easily accessible and user-friendly for cargo shippers. To this end, we will continue building modern terminals, transshipment facilities, and access routes.

To guarantee reliable year-round navigation, we will expand the icebreaker fleet, including nuclear-powered icebreakers, and build auxiliary and emergency rescue vessels. These comprehensive efforts will advance our leadership in the Arctic.

Now, regarding plans for improving the road infrastructure.

During our regional visits, we can see the quality of urban streets, motorways, and mass transit systems, all of which is especially important for the people, since this is what the people walk into immediately upon stepping out of their homes. It is essential to continue making commute within cities and other population centres comfortable and safe.

This year marks the completion of the Safe and High-Quality Roads national project. Over the six years it was in operation, at least 85 percent of urban roads and 54 percent of regional motorways have been brought up to standard.

Starting next year, this work will continue under the new national project titled "Infrastructure for Life." We aim to use this initiative to meet the President's goal of increasing the share of the federal roads that meet regulatory standards to 85 percent and regional roads to 60 percent within the next six years.

Modern transport infrastructure drives the development of tourism, regional economies, and the country as a whole. Over 3.5 trillion roubles have been allocated from the three-year federal budget to renovate roads.

Under the revised five-year plan, this work is advancing at a vigorous pace. Today, new sections of major motorways in the Irkutsk Region and the Perm Region opened to traffic. We will extend the M-12 Vostok Motorway first to Yekaterinburg and then to Tyumen. In the future, the high-speed Rossiya Expressway will connect Moscow with Vladivostok.

Importantly, motorway construction plans should include the comprehensive development of territories, the establishment of production sites, and the construction of mass transit links, including railways, so that new roads are both user-friendly for passengers and efficient for businesses.

To improve mobility, we will continue to renew the mass transit system. Domestic production sites have the capacity to fully meet the growing needs of the regions.

We will use federal support measures to deliver over 7,000 new mass transit vehicles to Russian regions this year. Over the next six years, an additional 33,000 buses, trolleybuses, trams, and electric buses will be put in service. We plan to allocate 150 billion roubles to this end.

And now about another major area in this field - industry training.

Russia needs transport engineers. We will not be able to carry out any of the projects without qualified personnel. And it is extremely important to train a sufficient number of high-level specialists. I would say, of the highest level, with solid classical knowledge, with practical skills, including in the latest technologies.

Currently, 19 specialised universities are training about half a million people. Our young generation is talented and hard-working. They will not only have to maintain the results they have achieved, but also develop their success under the guidance of experienced tutors.

We have to provide all the necessary conditions for the young people. New educational centres, well-equipped laboratories, comfortable dormitories, simulators, training aircraft. And many other things that are necessary to organise quality training. It is crucial to keep this activity under control.

Friends,

I would like to sincerely congratulate you and all the specialists on your professional holiday - Transport Worker's Day, which is celebrated today in the Russian Federation. Let us congratulate all the labour teams who may be watching us in one way or another. And of course, special words of thanks to our honoured former workers.

Thanks to your hard labour people get convenient routs. Travelling is becoming faster and more comfortable. Freight traffic is rapidly increasing. This, of course, has a direct impact on the growth of our economy and the well-being of our people.

At this forum, you have an excellent opportunity to thoroughly discuss the current situation in your industry and outline additional measures and possible solutions to efficiently overcome the challenges we are facing.

I am absolutely sure that your ideas and proposals will become a good engine for the domestic transport complex to move forward, alongside the entire country.

Thank you and good luck.

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