Rosbalt News Agency On Line
St. Petersburg, Russia
17/01/2003, 14:01

KIEV, January 17. Kiev is ready to develop and carry out a project to build a high-speed railway line to join Ukraine with the Baltic states.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Transport, the idea was put forward by Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas during talks between the Baltic leaders in Vilnius on Wednesday, January 15.

According to Brazauskas, the railway line between Tallinn and Berlin should have another branch - from Klaipeda to Odessa. This would connect ports on the Black and Baltic Seas and significantly increase passenger and goods transport between them.

According to official sources, the Lithuanian Prime Minister's idea was supported by his Estonian and Latvian counterparts. Work on the project, which is expected to be financed by Germany, is due to begin in 2005.