Welcoming the high-ranking guests, Chairman of OSJD Committee Tadeusz Szozda noted that for the 60 years of its existence OSJD has been carrying out active work aimed at ensuring development and improvement of the international rail passenger and freight transportation, increase of their competitiveness on a huge Euro-Asian space, strengthening of regulatory and legal basis for the purpose of achieving the highest efficiency in the work of railway transport complex and meeting the demands of OSJD member countries in the transportation of passengers and goods.

OSJD is a unique international Organisation which unites both government bodies, responsible for railway transport in the member countries, and the national railway companies. This combination provides an opportunity to regulatory bodies and business community to establish a direct contact at the international level and to resolve together all topical issues. The Organisation is a depositary of the agreements which cover practically all main fields of railway transport activities both at the state level, and at the level of economic entities.

Nowadays, continued Tadeusz Szozda, OSJD unites 28 states and their railways, the railways of 7 states have observer status, about 40 enterprises working in the railway sphere have a status of affiliated enterprises.

OSJD keeps up to date and does everything possible to improve its activities. In particular, preparation of the draft Convention on “Direct International Railway Traffic” has been completed recently which main objective is to bring in line railways with the challenges of the XXI century and further develop on the Euroasian space.

Chairman of OSJD Committee has also noted a special role of OSJD cooperation with many government and non-governmental international organisations in railway transport. Collaboration with these organisations yields considerable positive results in the solution of important issues of the international rail transportation.

In his closing part of the speech Tadeusz Szozda expressed great gratitude to all who promoted and still promote the evolution and strengthening of cooperation between all OSJD members for the benefit of the international railway transport development on the whole Euroasian continent.