The parties discussed the aspects of further cooperation development within the OSJD framework, the state and prospects of international passenger and freight railway traffic and other issues.

Tadeusz Szozda, noting the great role plaid by the Republic of Belarus in the OSJD activities, informed the distinguished guests on the work progress in the adoption of the text of the Convention on Direct International Railway Traffic, updating and improvement of the SMPS and SMGS Agreements, work progress under the UNECE auspices towards Unified Transport Law, results and decisions of CGD meeting XXXII in Minsk and session XLV of the OSJD Ministerial Conference in Sochi, on the role of the CIM/SMGS consignment note in the development of international railway links between Asia and Europe and on other areas of OSJD activities.

In the field of passenger transport, Anatoly Sivak expressed his satisfaction with the successful launch of new trains on the route Krakow (Poland) – Grodno (Belarus) and Warsaw – Minsk with a single change at Brest-Central Station, as well as regarding the continued development of geography and quality improvement services of international railway passenger links in the conditions of severe competition with other modes of transport.

In the field of freight traffic, the parties noted a positive trend: starting in May 2017, the transportation of goods from China to Europe and back began to be carried out on a regular basis under the unified CIM/SMGS consignment note throughout the whole route; the wagons from Europe are returned already with a 40-% load; agreements between the governments of China and Belarus, as well as China and Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and other European countries have been concluded on the export of food and consumer goods from these countries to China. The parties noted that the increase in cargo traffic will contribute to strengthening the role of Belarus as one of the main transport links in the transit chain of traffic between Europe and Asia.

Noting positive results of mutual cooperation, the parties expressed their desire for their further fruitful development in the New Year of 2018.