OREANDA-NEWS. August 20, 2012. 40th Ministers Conference session took place in Baku. Belarusian delegation was headed by the Deputy Head of Belarusian railway Vladimir Balachonov.

The report about OSJD activities in 2011 was considered on the session: results of the OSJD Commission on transport policy and development strategy, transport law. Besides the participants discussed the progress of Contemporary working group activities in rationalization of basic OSJD documents, program of activities in 2013 and following years and also other questions.

Reminded the fact that Organisation for Co-Operation between Railways was created on 28 June 1956. Headquarters is in Warsaw (Poland). Intergovernmental agreements formulating the transport law serve as a legal basis for the unified system of railway traffic. Within the framework of OSJD, they are, mainly, Agreement concerning International Passenger Traffic by Rail (SMPS) and Agreement concerning International Goods Traffic by Rail (SMGS).

The main objectives of OSJD include development of international freight and passenger traffic, creation of common railway transport environment in the Eurasian region, higher competitiveness and an increase in transcontinental railway routes as well as promotion of technological progress and technical-scientific cooperation in the field of railway transport.

The participants of OSJD – Azerbaijan, Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, DPRK, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Estonia.

Besides, the status of observer belongs to JSC German Railway (DB AG), Organisation of Greek Railways (OSE), National Society of French Railways (SNCF), Finnish Railways (VR), Public Enterprise “Serbian Railways” (JIS) and CJSC “Gyor - Sopron – Ebenfurt Railway” (GySEV - ROeEE).