Sakhalin and Hokkaido join hands to develop ferry connection
The authorities of the Sakhalin Oblast, Russia and a delegation of the prefecture of Hokkaido have signed an agreement at a traditional bilateral meeting held August 24 in Japan on the development of a regular ferry service between Wakkanai and Korsakov, and on boosting of economic ties and trade between sister cities of Sakhalin and Hokkaido, the Sakhalin regional government press office said.
"The Russian and Japanese sides have exchanged views and discussed issues of further cooperation of sister cities. Strengthening and expanding economic partnership, we identified as a key task in the development of relations between Japan and Russia,” the press office quoted as saying Sergei Sadovnikov, Minister of Transport and Road Facilities of the region.
The municipality of Wakkanai and the municipalities of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Korsakov and Nevelsk signed an agreement on the development of economic exchanges between the sister cities.
The parties decided that the 2019 meetings will be held in the Sakhalin region.
The Korsakov - Wakkanai ferry line in 2019 will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Regular ferry connection allows voyages of tourists, making business trips for Russian and Japanese businessmen. Since its launch in 1999, the ferry line was operated by a Japanese shipping company. Since 2016, with the support of the Government of the Sakhalin Region, cargo and passengers are transported by Sakhalin Shipping Company (SASCO). A Penguin-class passenger ferry was deployed on the international Wakkanai-Korsakov route.
