Photo from UNIAN
Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced that a Ukrainian cargo train en route to China travelling via an alternative route to bypass Russia may be connected with the Viking train that transports cargo between the ports of Illichivsk (the Black Sea port near Odesa) and Klaipeda (Lithuania).
"I would like to emphasize our cooperation with European partners. Lithuania is interested in the [Silk Road] project, and we have already signed a preliminary memorandum. This means that within the frameworks of EU-Ukraine cooperation and DCFTA, our European partners and the Viking train will be connected to the Silk Road," Yatsenyuk said.
"The Viking train from Klaipeda will be able to deliver goods to China, bypassing Russia," the prime minister added.
Read alsoFirst freight train from Ukraine to Central Asia reaches destinationAs UNIAN reported earlier, the pilot container train en route Ukraine - Georgia - Azerbaijan - Kazakhstan - China (through the Caspian and Black Seas) left the Ukrainian port of Illichivsk on January 15 and arrived at the Chinese border on January 31. The route was developed in early January following Russia's decision to ban the transit of Ukrainian goods through Russian territory as of January 4.
Viking combined transport train has been running since 2003 along the route Ilyichivsk (Ukraine) - Minsk (Belarus) - Draugyste (Lithuania). The train connects the Baltic region's maritime container and piggyback lines with a similar system of the Black, Mediterranean and Caspian Seas.