OREANDA-NEWS. December 13, 2010. Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin attended meetings in Beijing of the International Union of Railways (UIC) Executive Board, General Assembly, and Asian Regional Assembly. At the sessions, the company president gave presentations on Russian Railways’ work to develop international cooperation through the UIC during 2010, reported the press-centre of Russian Railways.

Vladimir Yakunin was also elected a member of the UIC Executive Board for a two-year term. Boris Lapidus, general director of the All Russian Railway Research Institute (VNIIZhT), a Russian Railways subsidiary, was elected to the position of International Railway Research Board (IRRB) chairman.
 
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The International Union of Railways (UIC) was founded in 1922 as a union of railway administrations, with the aim of standardizing and improving railway technology and operations. The UIC Asian Regional Assembly is a platform dedicated to finding constructive ways of harmonizing plans for the development of railway infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region, and to developing joint transport products.

The Asia-Pacific region is the world’s largest in terms of both land mass and population, and members of the Asian Regional Assembly are among world’s most extensive railway networks – in terms operational track length, China and Russia hold second and third places globally.