In a ceremony today, Thursday, 25th May, during a two-day summit of transport ministers from across the world in Leipzig, Germany, Transport Secretary Mark Harper handed over the presidency of the International Transport Forum (ITF) to Lithuania.
The International Transport Forum is a world-leading intergovernmental organisation for transport policy. It is hosted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and brings together over 60 countries.
The UK has held the presidency for the last 12 months, and at the handing-over ceremony, the Transport Secretary reiterated the UK’s condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the devastating impact it has had on Ukraine’s transport infrastructure.
Issuing a joint statement with the vice-presidencies of Lithuania and Chile, the Transport Secretary highlighted the impact of war on Ukraine’s transport infrastructure and called for a change to ITF rules to adapt to an unprecedented rise in global events.
Later this week, Mark Harper is due to meet his German counterpart in Berlin to discuss UK-German cooperation on transport, including the possibility of authorising a high-speed rail connection.
A statement by the Transport Secretary in conjunction with vice-presidencies Lithuania and Chile said “As part of our ongoing support to Ukraine and its people, the UK rail industry has made several donations of critical rail infrastructure and humanitarian aid, recently delivering £10 million in materials to repair rail infrastructure and to facilitate the movement of grain out of Ukraine. Bolstering the country’s skillset, Ukrainian engineers were trained in the UK on how to use the bridge repair materials, too.”
In a speech during the forum, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “As the UK hands over the ITF presidency, we do so not just with pride at what ITF has achieved over the past 12 months, but also a commitment to continue championing the values and aims of this vital organisation.
“But…
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