ArmInfo. On January 21, the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Organisation for Co-operation between Railways (OSJD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
The sides also discussed the key priorities and the results of activities of the OSJD working bodies. They pointed out that the EEC-OSJD cooperation is of much importance to development of Eurasian integration. First of all, it will contribute to establishment of practical ties with the OSJD member states to develop international cargo traffic and passenger operations by rail, enhance their competitiveness and coordination of the measures aimed at upgrading the infrastructure on the transcontinental railway routes.
The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is a permanent regulatory body of the Eurasian Economic Union. It started functioning on February 2, 2012. The main objective of the Eurasian Economic Commission is to ensure functioning and development of the EAEU, to prepare proposals for its further integration. At the moment there are five countries represented within the EEC: the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation. The EEC holds the status of supranational regulatory body and the keystone of its activity are the interests of the Eurasian community as an integrative initiative where no national interests prevail over those of the community. Decisions of the Commission are binding on the territory of the EEU member states.
The Organisation for Co-operation between Railways (OSJD) is an international organization established at the Railway Ministers Conference in Sofia, Republic of Bulgaria, by the ministers, responsible for the railway transport on 28 June 1956. The main objectives of OSJD include development of international freight and passenger traffic, creation of common railway transport environment in the Eurasian region, higher competitiveness and an increase in transcontinental railway routes as well as promotion of technological progress and technical-scientific cooperation in the field of railway transport. 28 countries take part in activities of OSJD as an intergovernmental organization, namely: Azerbaijan, Albania, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, DPRK, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Estonia. Besides, JSC German Railway (DB AG), Organisation of Greek Railways (OSE), National Society of French Railways (SNCF), Finnish Railways (VR), Public Enterprise "Serbian Railways" (JIS) and CJSC "Gyor - Sopron - Ebenfurt Railway" (GySEV - ROeEE), Federal Passenger Company JSC (FPC).