Lithuania takes first significant steps toward attracting Chinese investments in logistics
Last week, Li Jianhong, the Chairman of the Board of one of the largest Chinese state-owned corporations China Merchants Group (CMG) and his delegation visited Lithuania. According to Lithuania’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Lithuanian Government, Chinese representatives discussed investment opportunities in Lithuania, as well as signed three Memorandums of Understanding with the Kaunas Free Economic Zone (FEZ), JSC “Lithuanian Railways” and Klaipėda State Seaport.
“Today, the first steps toward attracting Chinese investments in Lithuania were taken. It will help to achieve mutual goals in the field of transport and logistics,” said Rimantas Sinkevičius, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania. “This Chinese company forms a sea-land transportation chain between Asia and Europe, and, therefore, Klaipėda could represent an intersection between these roads” added the Minister.
The Chairman of the Board of CMG, Li Jianhong, said that he sees multiple opportunities for investment in Lithuania. The aim of their visit to Lithuania was to familiarize with the investment possibilities in Klaipėda Container Terminal, the development of the corridor’s branch Minsk-Klaipėda and the opportunities to invest in Kaunas FEZ.
According to the Minister Rimantas Sinkevičius, freight transportation by rail is cheaper and cleaner compared to the transportation by trucks; therefore, it is significant to exploit the advantages that intermodal terminals can offer. CMG seeks to develop the transport corridor’s branch Minsk-Klaipėda, accordingly Kaunas Intermodal Terminal could be one of the essential keys to the success of this project.
The representatives of China were also invited participate in the Lithuanian-Chinese business forum The Silk Road in Klaipėda, organized by Klaipėda State Seaport and Lithuanian Railways on 28–29 June. The Silk Road is an opportunity to cover the main Central and Western European markets that contain over 750 million users. Therefore, one of the main strategic aims of Lithuanian transport is to further develop the cooperation with China and thus join the largest economy in the world with the EU states.
