OREANDA-NEWS. On 9 April 2014 the Strategic Agreement for TRANSTEC International Conferences and Exhibitions was signed to continue the promotion of the development of Russian Ports and Shipping through 2018. TRANSTEC will be held in cooperation with the NEVA Exhibitions in accordance with the Decree of the Russian Federation Government №1910-R signed 21 October 2013.

The Agreement was signed by Dolphin Exhibitions Ltd General Director Matthew White, Transtec Neva Exhibitions General Director Alexander Tichomirov and Expoforum-International General Director Sergey Voronkov.

“This renewed agreement will strengthen cooperation between supporting ministries and serve to widen TRANSTEC's profile, offering additional topics for discussion and providing new business opportunities which have been fostered directly from B2B interest shown during previous TRANSTEC events. As Co-Organisers of the biennial TRANSTEC Ports and Shipping Conference and Exhibition, it gives us great pleasure to announce the signing of an extended agreement with EXPOFORUM, which provides the basis for continuing TRANSTEC's traditional promotion of Russia's Ports and Shipping infrastructure redevelopment programmes through 2018”, said Mr M. White.

TRANSTEC 2014, “The Big Ports and Shipping Event for Russia” welcomes participants to explore developments in Russian Inland and Sea ports. The 12th TRANSTEC Exhibition will run beside the 4th International Conference on Ports and Shipping - "The Future of Russian Ports". The Programme explores the strategic linking of sea, river, coastal and shipping with the rail, road and air transport infrastructure in the Russian Federation.

With more than 60% of Russian foreign trade carried by sea transport, TRANSTEC 2014 brings Russia's highest priorities and goals for ports and shipping redevelopments into sharp focus, such as increasing port capacity, constructing new port facilities, improving port access by developing of road & rail infrastructure & superstructure, developing ports as a logistics hubs.

New topics for future development within the TRANSTEC profile include Port-centric and origin distribution: the port or origin as a centre for distribution, Integrated systems: removing risk and costs, improving resilience within port operations, Streamlining customs regimes: strategic importance of simplified customs procedures.

The Conference Programme of 2014 also welcomes The Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum's inaugural session, spanning many topics set to stimulate discussions for the development of Russia's Cruise Tourism throughout the Black Sea and Baltic Ports.

“TRANSTEC is the business-to-business platform for the international community to participate and benefit from these massive Russian Ports and Shipping redevelopments. We look forward to giving all participants and visitors our traditional warm welcome to TRANSTEC 2014 in St Petersburg, 1 - 3 October, 2014!”, said Mr M. White.

Stressing the importance for Russia of the TRANSTEC project, Sergey Voronkov noted that holding the event in the Expoforum Congress and Exhibition Centre will ensure a high-level of organization and comfort for all participants: "There is all the necessary infrastructure for the discussion of ports and shipping topics to create a professional platform which will attract investments in the Maritime industry and form new expertise in the region".

Since 1994 the TRANSTEC Conference and Exhibitions actively promote the future development of the sea port infrastructure of Russia. This strategy envisages more than two-fold growth of Russian port capacity to 1.6 billion tonnes by 2030. The project addresses the rapidly growing market of maritime transport and is a working platform to exchange best practices and discuss regional and international cooperation in the port sectors. In 2014 the TRANSTEC Conference and Exhibition Programme will be included in the work plan under the auspices of the Marine Board of the Russian Federation Government.