Trans-Korean Railroad project moves ahead

Trans-Korean Railroad project moves ahead
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060226/43787949.html

NOVOSIBIRSK, February 26 (RIA Novosti, Yana Ryabinskaya) - Substantial
progress has been made in talks on the reconstruction of the Trans-Korean
Railroad, the president of Russian Railways (RZD), a railroad transportation
giant, said Sunday.

"The negotiations have been difficult. Nevertheless, we have advanced
considerably on the issue of rail transport with the South Korean side,
especially during the latest session of the international committee on the
Trans-Siberian Railroad, which took place in Seoul last fall," Vladimir
Yakunin said.

He said the negotiations on the reconstruction of the Trans-Korean Railroad
were being conducted within the framework of tripartite consultations
between Russia, North Korea, and South Korea.

"We are now trying to organize a demonstration trip by representatives of
South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Russia to
[Russia's] Far East regions, including visits to sea ports, for further
joint consultations," he said.

"Invitations have been sent out," he said.

Earlier, South Korea proposed that North Korea and Russia invite other
states to discuss financial problems of linking the Trans-Korean Railroad
with the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

RZD has been negotiating the reconstruction of the eastern sector of the
Trans-Korean Railroad and its linkup to the Trans-Siberian Railroad for the
past few years. The problem was brought up in August 2002, when Vladimir
Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il discussed the idea of linking up
the South and North Korean railroads to create an uninterrupted railroad
from the Far Eastern ports to western Europe.


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