"During the meeting, held in a business and constructive atmosphere, there were discussed questions of building the Trans-Korean Railway and connecting it with the Trans-Siberian Railway. The project must promote the development of trade and economic relations between European and North-East Asian countries", said the report.
Besides, the project will help to increase rail traffic in North Korea, South Korea and Russia.
The Russian foreign ministry noted that "the sides assessed the meeting as useful. It outlined the further realization of the project. The sides also declared for a new session, the time and the place will be reported later." The decision on building the Trans-Korean Railway was taken in Vladivostok in August 2002 during the meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Korean Leader Kim Chen Ir. The Trans-Korean Railway will help to increase the turnover of goods through the Korean Peninsula and the Trans-Siberian Railway to Europe. According to South Korea, the turnover of container traffic through the Trans-Korean Railway may amount to 200,000 containers a year by 2005, and in future will reach a million containers a year.
