Transport Secretary reiterates condemnation of Russia’s battle on Ukraine as he arms over UK ’s presidency of the Worldwide Transport Discussion board to Lithuania
joint assertion with vice-presidencies Lithuania and Chile highlights influence of battle on Ukraine’s transport infrastructure and requires change to ITF guidelines to adapt to unprecedented world occasions
Transport Secretary because of meet his German counterpart in Berlin later within the week to debate UK -German cooperation on transport together with a attainable high-speed rail connection
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has reiterated the UK ’s condemnation of Russia’s battle on Ukraine – highlighting the devastating influence it’s had on the nation’s transport infrastructure – throughout a 2-day summit of transport ministers from internationally in Leipzig, Germany.
The UK has held the presidency of the Worldwide Transport Discussion board ( ITF ) for the previous 12 months, and right now (25 Could 2023) issued an announcement – at the side of vice-presidencies Lithuania and Chile – highlighting the work the ITF has carried out to help Ukraine in rebuilding its transport programs and infrastructure.
As a part of our ongoing help to Ukraine and its individuals, the UK rail trade has made a number of donations of crucial rail infrastructure and humanitarian assist, just lately delivering £10 million in supplies to restore rail infrastructure and to facilitate the motion of grain out of Ukraine. Bolstering the nation’s skillset, Ukrainian engineers have been skilled within the UK on how you can use the bridge restore supplies, too.
In a speech throughout the discussion board, the Transport Secretary Mark Harper stated:
Because the UK arms over the ITF presidency, we achieve this not simply with satisfaction at what ITF has achieved over the previous 12 months, but in addition a dedication to proceed championing the values and goals of this important organisation. However sadly, these values and goals aren’t shared by all. We proceed to see elements of Ukraine laid waste by Putin’s unlawful battle. Right now’s joint presidencies assertion, from the UK , Lithuania and Chile, exhibits Ukraine doesn’t stand alone.
The assertion got here because the UK handed over its year-long presidency of the ITF to Lithuania throughout the 2-day annual summit.
The UK additionally referred to as for amendments to the final guidelines of the ITF to verify the organisation could be extra versatile in responding and adapting to future unprecedented occasions as seen with coronavirus (COVID-19) and the invasion of Ukraine.
The ITF is a world-leading intergovernmental organisation for transport coverage bringing collectively over 60 international locations, hosted by the Organisation for Financial Cooperation and Growth (OECD).
Final 12 months, former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps assumed the presidency by outlining 5 priorities for the UK ’s tenure: main world transport transformation by making transport extra linked, greener, inclusive, protected and resilient, and progressive.
Additionally throughout the summit, Mark Harper chaired conferences of the inter-governmental Zero Emissions Automobiles Transition Council (ZEVTC), which he used to debate efforts to transition to zero emission heavy items autos (HGVs) – important to decarbonising our roads and assembly world local weather targets.
He additionally held bilateral conferences along with his counterparts from Chile, Brazil, South Korea and Switzerland, discussing how you can improve collaboration between the UK and its worldwide companions around the globe to deal with shared transport priorities.
Following the ITF summit, the Transport Secretary will journey to Berlin to fulfill his counterpart Dr Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, and Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn.
Subsequent month, the UK will host the Ukraine Restoration Convention – a continuation of the collection of annual occasions devoted to Ukraine’s transformation. The primary passed off in London in 2017 because the Ukraine Reform Convention.
This 12 months’s convention will concentrate on the mobilisation of worldwide and personal sector help for the financial and social stabilisation of Ukraine.
