First railroad summit aims to promote CFM abroad

The aim of the first railroad summit in Moldova is to promote Moldova’s Railways, the company’s director general Vitalie Struna said in the opening of the forum. “We now lag behind, but we should work and develop. We need to be promoted at world level so that we obtain financing. A major objective is to increase speed and this means infrastructure and reconstruction of the railroads,” he stated, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. The summit is attended by representatives of the European community of railways and of the CIS railway systems and by experts of the World Bank. “We want to show that we can cooperate and want to do it. We have 10 railway transport projects that we intend to implement during the next three years,” said Vitalie Struna, adding that financing is needed for the purpose. Only the project to reconstruct the railroads costs €530 million. Minister of Transport and Road Infrastructure Anatol Salaru said the role of transport in the third millennium is significant. “Within the Association Agreement with the EU, Moldova launched reforms in all the areas of activity. These reforms will help improve the country’s economic competitiveness. In the railway transport sector, the CFM switched to a new stage,” said the official, mentioning among the main goals the reformation of the CFM, rehabilitation of the railroads, liberalization and development of competition on the transport services market. The Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Dirk Schuebel said that Moldova should provide railway transport services of a high quality, but should take definite steps in this respect. He considers that the railways carriers should focus on the business and clients. The first railroad summit in Moldova has taken place on June 7-8. It is held behind closed doors. The press had access only during the welcoming speeches.