DOCSLIB.ORG

“Market Potential and Competition Analysis for Selected Ports of the Amber Coast”

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“Market Potential and Competition Analysis for Selected Ports of the Amber Coast” “Market Potential and Competition Analysis for selected ports of the Amber Coast” Final Report Riga, 2/04/2013 Client: Freeport of Ventspils Authority Prepared by: SIA "NK Konsultāciju birojs" Market Potential and Competition Analysis for selected ports of the Amber Coast Final Report, date: 02/04/2013 SIA "NK Konsultāciju birojs" Contacts: Mūkusalas street 42 Normunds Lukša LV 1004 Riga E-mail: [email protected] Latvia Direct phone: +371 29-115484 Phone: +371 67-609490 Fax: +371 67-609491 www.nkconsulting.lv Report prepared by: Tobias Merten Vladas Stūrys Normunds Lukša Page 2 of 122 Market Potential and Competition Analysis for selected ports of the Amber Coast Final Report, date: 02/04/2013 Notice This report has been prepared by SIA "NK konsultāciju birojs" (NK) with all reasonable skill, care and diligence within the terms of the Contract with the client, incorporating NK’s General Terms and Conditions of Business and taking account of the manpower and resources devoted to it by agreement with the client. NK disclaims any responsibility to the client and others in respect of any matters outside the scope of the above. NK undertakes no obligation to notify recipients of events occurring after the date on the front cover that might change the content or conclusion of this report. In preparing this report NK has used data from both its own internal databases and from third party sources, and has also interviewed representatives of the business community. NK can accept no liability for the accuracy of data sourced in good faith from third-party sources. This report is confidential to the client and NK accepts no responsibility of whatsoever nature to third parties whom this report, or any part thereof, is made known. Any such party relies upon the report at their own risk. Limitations and Exceptions This report is based upon the application of scientific principles and professional judgement to certain facts with resultant subjective interpretations. Professional judgments expressed herein are based on the currently available facts within the limits of the existing data, scope of work, budget and schedule. To the extent that more definitive conclusions are desired by the client than are warranted by the currently available facts, it is specifically NK’s intent that the conclusions stated herein are intended as guidance and not necessarily as a firm course of action, except where explicitly stated as such. NK makes no warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, warranties as to merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In addition, the information provided in this report is not to be construed as legal advice. Page 3 of 122 Market Potential and Competition Analysis for selected ports of the Amber Coast Final Report, date: 02/04/2013 Executive Summary The Amber Coast ports Klaipeda, Riga, Ventspils, and Tallinn as well as Finnish ports Helsinki and Hamina-Kotka, and the Russian greater port of St. Petersburg are playing a vital and competitive role in the intermodal transport chains from and to (hub) ports in Northern Europe and economic regions in Eastern Europe, in particular for industrial and consumption centers around St. Petersburg and Moscow/Novgorod as well as around Minsk now and in the future. In the past, the hinterland of a port was relatively well defined due to limited choices of market accessibility. However, with increase efficiency of inland transport infrastructure the distance from / to a market is no longer the unique criterion for port choice. It became a general rule, that the port's potential hinterland can be defined as the area that can be reached at a cheaper cost or shorter time than from another port. Furthermore, with the progressive integration of ports in supply chains and an increasing complexity of transport networks (e.g. hub-and-spoke systems, value-added logistics), the choice of a specific port focus much more on a package or bundle of logistics services along the way to the market. Figure 1: Analysed overland road routing options from/to port hinterland incl. feeder connections to North European hub ports Source: SIA "NK konsultāciju birojs" The delimitated Amber Coast zone of influence is part of a very dynamic economic environment characterized by a lower level of current economic development connected with a strong rate of annual GDP growth during recent years, with exception to the global economic crisis in 2008/2009 which hit the region especially hard. However, mid- to long-term projections indicate a relatively fast recovery and continious economic growth even though on a somewhat lower level than before crisis. Main driver remains the development of Russian economy. Principle Page 4 of 122 Market Potential and Competition Analysis for selected ports of the Amber Coast Final Report, date: 02/04/2013 challenges for the coming years to overcome are deficits in the transport infrastructure, structural unemployment, relatively high inflation rates, shrinking population, shortage of qualified labour and strong competetive environment for limited foreign direct investments. Until 2030, maritime container traffic may increase overall by almost 140% in the Baltic Sea region, RoRo traffic by almost 70% steered significantly by the development of Northern Russian economy. At the same time and especially in the Baltic States and Russia, overland transport volumes will grow in line and may increase by over 70% in case of truck transportation and by over 40% for rail transports. The container demand for the determined region is projected to grow from in total 967,000 TEUs in 2011 to about 2.59 – 2.73 mio. TEUs with a growth factor between 2.67 and 2.83 depending on the applied scenario and not including transhipment volumes and volumes handled at others than selected ACL ports. Northwest Russia and Belarus volumes are expected to grow most with the economic regions of Moscow and Novgorod as principle growth driver. The assessment of relevant multi-modal networks, which are framed by maritime intermodal infrastructure, land intermodal infrastructure, road infrastructure, and rail infrastructure reveals, that terminal capacity problems of the past have been overcome. The great port of St. Petersburg is rapidly increasing capacities for container and RoRo in order to cope with the objective to handle Russian cargo at Russian ports. But also new capacities are being added in the ports of Riga, Ventspils, Tallinn, Liepaja, and Klaipeda through new terminals or expansion projects. Overall this will increase competition between ports and consequently between competing corridors. There are no significant structural changes foreseen in the road network, however, border crossing points are and will remain important bottlenecks for road transport. The construction of Rail Baltica and the improvements of existing rail infrastructure (e.g. electrical traction on main corridors) will have mainly an influence on intra-regional trade of countries along the rail corridor and thus effects the RoRo transportation pattern. It is not expected that oversea container trade will be significantly affected by this project. A weak point in competitiveness of the ACL intermodal range remains lack of logistic infrastructure in the hinterland of the ports (logistic centres, dry ports etc), within which all activities relating to transport, logistics and the distribution of goods - both for national and international transit, are carried out by various operators on a commercial basis. At the same time the regional intermodal network faces and will face in a future new challenges. Immediate challenges are caused from one side by accelerated modernization of the global transport and logistics system, from other side – by growing competition in the port range due to fast development of capacities and especially in the Great port of St. Petersburg. This will require higher competitiveness of every port in the rage and their tight cooperation with land transport and logistics developers and operators. The following table provides an overview of main infrastructre and non-infrastructure related bottlenecks that have been identified, considering the current situation and expected sitiuation based on projected future cargo flows. Table 1: Evaluation of ACL ports and hinterland bottlenecks SUMMARY OF BOTTLENECKS Current evaluation Evaluation considering future cargo flow forecasts Infrastructural Maritime Not significant Not significant, considering planned infrastructure developments in ports (terminals) Road network Not significant Not significant, considering planned road projects Page 5 of 122 Market Potential and Competition Analysis for selected ports of the Amber Coast Final Report, date: 02/04/2013 SUMMARY OF BOTTLENECKS Current evaluation Evaluation considering future cargo flow forecasts Interoperability of rail Moderate Should be solved by planned rail networks bottlenecks projects and through SMGS and CIM harmonization Rail rolling stock Moderate Remaining actual bottlenecks Block trains to Significant hinterland bottlenecks Hinterland logistic Significant for the Significant bottlenecks might emerge, centres future since no exact strategies and development plans are in place Intermodal terminals Significant for future Bottlenecks can be minimised, implementing modern technologies to fasten modal shift operations Non- Border crossing time Significant Will increase with rise of the cargo infrastructural bottlenecks flow, if no actions implemented Operational Significant
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Rail Baltica Global Project Cost- Benefit Analysis Final Report
    Rail Baltica Global Project Cost- Benefit Analysis Final Report 30 April 2017 x Date Table of contents Table of contents ........................................................................................................................ 2 Version ...................................................................................................................................... 2 1. Terms and Abbreviations ...................................................................................................... 3 2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 5 2.1 EY work context ................................................................................................................ 5 2.2 Context of the CBA ............................................................................................................ 5 2.3 Key constraints and considerations of the analysis ................................................................ 6 3. Background and information about the project ....................................................................... 8 3.1 Project background and timeline ......................................................................................... 8 3.2 Brief description of the project ........................................................................................... 9 4. Methodology ....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Operational Challenges to Port Interfaces in the Multi-Modal Transport Chain (Maritime and Hinterland Connections)
    Operational Challenges to Port Interfaces in the Multi-modal Transport Chain (Maritime and Hinterland Connections) 2013 Table of contest Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4 PART I EVALUATION OF THE EXISTING SITUATION .................................................... 5 1. Research methodology ....................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Setting the Criteria ....................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Selection of indicators ............................................................................................... 11 2. Latvian ports ..................................................................................................................... 21 2.1 Freeport of Riga ......................................................................................................... 22 2.2 Port of Liepaja ........................................................................................................... 33 2.3 Port of Ventspils ........................................................................................................ 38 3. Lithuanian ports ................................................................................................................ 43 3.2 Port of Klaip ėda ........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Sailing Sailing the Baltic's Amber Coast
    HARVARD STUDY LEADER SAILING THE BALTIC’S AMBER COAST T E V 601 D N, AG HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION O. HELSINKI TO COPENHAGEN ABOARD SEA CLOUD II ST TO ST Michael McCormick, historian and archaeologist of the late Roman Empire ID T PA PO 2018 WORLDWIDE TRAVEL PROGRAM and early medieval Europe, is Francis Goelet Professor of Medieval History at PRSR WITH MICHAEL MCCORMICK U.S. URLING PERMIT N PERMIT Harvard University. He has authored the prize-winning monograph: Origins B Francis Goelet Professor of Medieval History of the European Economy (Cambridge University Press, 2002) and, most recently, Charlemagne’s Survey of the Holy Land (Dumbarton Oaks-Harvard June 29–July 11, 2018 University Press, 2011). He is senior editor of the Digital Atlas of Roman and Medieval Civilizations (http://darmc.harvard.edu/), a free, online atlas cre- ated chiefly by his undergraduate students. He currently codirects the exca- vation of a late Roman settlement in eastern France, and chairs the Initiative for the Science of the Human Past, a new Harvard research and teaching network that brings together colleagues and students from all divisions of the University to explore and promote natural scientific approaches to the past. Professor McCormick has chaired the FAS Standing Committees on Archaeology and Medieval Studies. Both Harvard undergraduates and alumni prize his dedication to lively teaching inspired by pioneering research. OPTIONAL PRELUDE IN HELSINKI LAND/CRUISE RATES June 27–30, 2018 From $8,995 per person, Experience the exquisite architecture and art of Helsinki; discover the city’s cultural highlights, including the superb collections of double occupancy the Ateneum; and enjoy walking tours of this lively capital.
    [Show full text]
  • IFF 3Rd Associations Meeting Tampere, Finland 11Th and 12Th of October
    IFF 3 rd Associations Meeting Tampere, Finland 11 th and 12 th of October, 2015 INTERNATIONAL FLOORBALL FEDERATION (IFF) Recognised by the IOC Ordinary member of SportAccord Welcome and Opening Key points of Development and Actions Taken Mr. Tomas Eriksson, IFF President IFF 3rd Association Meeting 11th to 12th of December 2015 INTERNATIONAL FLOORBALL FEDERATION (IFF) Recognised by the IOC Ordinary member of SportAccord Actions taken towards the Olympic Movement and the IOC • During the last two years there has been a lot of lobbying towards the Olympic movement, the NOC’s, the IOC and the Orgnisers of the Multi-Sport Games to secure Floorball participation: • World Games 2021 Birmingham, USA • SEA Games 2017 Malaysia and 2019 Philippines • European Master Games 2019 tbd • Asia Indoor and Marshal Arts Games 2017/2021 • Euro Games 2019 Sochi, Russia • Youth Olympic Games 2018, Buenos Aires, Argentina • FISU Winter Universiade 2021 in Switzerland • Carefully analyzed the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations and acted in accordance to fulfil these, in order to be compliant with the IOC requirements. • Good Governance Policy and Ethics Commission in place • Development work with new Countries and Seminars • Developing our Events and the IFF Marketing portfolio • IFF CC Brand Manager • Social Media and streaming INTERNATIONAL FLOORBALL FEDERATION (IFF) Recognised by the IOC Ordinary member of SportAccord IFF Strategic Vision 2009-2020 Half-Time Revision update Vision for the rest of the decade: - Be an active and recognised Partner of the International
    [Show full text]
  • Amber Inspirations
    Amber inspirations Pomorskie Tourist Board Amber inspirations The modern Amber Route is a unique journey through centuries of tradition that has had a tremendous impact on Poland’s region of Pomorskie (Pomerania). There are numerous events for tourists from all around the world to enjoy: museum exhibitions, educational workshops, amber crafting presentations, fashion shows and trade fairs or mass outdoor events. And last but not least, solid weekend offers focusing on amber are a strength of the region and make it stand out. The Amber Route does not form a uniform line but its most interesting landmarks in the Pomorskie Region have been marked out for you. There are several thematic tours worth taking to places associated with amber. The greatest number of those are located in Gdańsk, for that reason the city is called the World Capital of Amber. Amber Amber is the hardened fossil resin of trees, one of over 130 kinds that can be found all around the world. They differ by place, age and the tree of origin. Baltic amber was formed more than 40 million years ago. Its largest deposits are located under the seabed of the Bay of Gdańsk. It is the only fossil resin to contain from 3% to 8% of succinic acid, which is a natural catalyst for cell metabolism, making it beneficial for health. Natural amber is characterized by the richness of colour and variety of types. The varied colour palette and different degrees of transparency were created by the conditions to which the amber was exposed while travelling between deposits.
    [Show full text]
  • The Best of Baltics Amber Coast in 13 Days
    THE BEST OF BALTICS AMBER COAST IN 13 DAYS ALL TOURS WITH GUARANTEED DEPARTURE! www.baltictours.com 1 TRAVEL SPECIALISTS Vilnius, Lithuania SINCE 1991 Baltic Tours has been among the ranks of the best for 27 years! Since 2007 Baltic Tours in collaboration with well experienced tourism partners have guaranteed departure tour services offering for over 30 tour programs and more than 300 guaranteed departures per year. Our team believes in the beauty of traveling, in the vibe of adventure and the pleasure of gastronomy. Traveling is a pure happiness - it has become our way of living! I have a degree in tourism management and I encourage our guests to explore the Northeastern region of Europe in its most attractive way. I’ve been working in tourism industry since 2013 and I’m assisting customers from 64 countries. Take a look at my personally selected tours and grab your best deal now! SERVICE STANDARDS MORE VALUE GUARANTEED ESCORTED TOURS QUALITY, SAFETY AND SECURITY SPECIAL FEATURES PRE- AND POST- STAYS www.baltictours.com 3 Gdansk, Poland JULY-SEPTEMBER, 2020 13 days/12 nights INCLUDING THE BEST ● GBA13: 05 Jul – 17 Jul, 2020 (Supplement) 12 overnights at centrally located 4* hotels GBA14: 12 Jul – 24 Jul, 2020 OF BALTICS 12 x buffet breakfast GBA15: 19 Jul – 31 Jul, 2020 FINLAND GBA16: 26 Jul – 07 Aug, 2020 Welcome meeting with champagne-cocktail GBA17: 02 Aug – 14 Au, 2020 or juice GBA18: 09 Aug – 21 Aug, 2020 HELSINKI Personalised welcome package AMBER COAST GBA19: 16 Aug – 28 Aug, 2020 ST. PETERSBURG TALLINN Entrances to Artus Court in Gdansk, Amber GBA20: 23 Aug – 04 Sep, 2020 ESTONIA museum in Kaliningrad, medieval Great Guild IN 13 DAYS RUSSIA Hall in Tallinn, Church-in-Ruck in Helsinki, Peter- Paul-Fortress in St.
    [Show full text]
  • Prassolow Et Al on the Significance and Research Potential of the Grebieten Burial Ground: a Reconstruction of the Prewar State
    ON THE SIGNIFICANCE AND RESEARCH POTENTIAL OF THE GREBIETEN BURIAL GROUND: A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE PREWAR STATE OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE PROSPECTS FOR MODERN RESEARCH 23 BALTICA JAROSLAW A. PRASSOLOW, KONSTANTIN N. SKVORTSOV ARCHAEOLOGIA Abstract The Grebieten burial ground, situated in the former Kreis Fischhausen of the German Empire’s province of East Prussia, (currently in the Zelenogradskii district of the Kaliningrad oblast’, Russian Federation), represents a reference monument of Sambian-Natangian culture, and at the same time is one of its best investigated archaeological sites. However, a recent comparative analysis of the available sources of information showed that the modern state of knowledge is incomplete, while the research potential of the monument is far from being exhausted. This article gives an overview of the state of research, as well as of the open questions and gaps in our knowledge. Along with a description of the currently available sources of information and their limitations, the publication informs readers about recently conducted archaeological studies, performed both on the partially preserved prewar archaeological material and on the monument. Besides the actual reintroduction of Grebieten into scientific research, the authors point out its role and its significance in the much more complex archaeological context. The results of recent research suggest strongly that the Grebieten burial ground is part of a much larger complex of archaeological monuments situated along the western coast of the Sambian Peninsula, in the close vicinity of amber collect- ing areas. This settlement complex played an important role in the collection and trade in amber, which defined the nature of Sambian-Natangian culture in the Roman Iron Age and Migration Period.
    [Show full text]
  • Sailing the Baltic's Amber Coast: Helsinki to Copenhagen Aboard Sea Cloud II
    Sailing the Baltic's Amber Coast: Helsinki to Copenhagen Aboard Sea Cloud II Dear Traveler, Please join Museum Travel Alliance from June 29 - July 11, 2018 on Sailing the Baltic's Amber Coast: Helsinki to Copenhagen Aboard Sea Cloud II. Visit Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Lithuania, and Denmark. Enjoy private concerts in medieval churches in Tallinn and Riga. Call overnight in Stockholm to visit the Nobel Museum before public hours and spend leisurely hours under sail basking in long Nordic summer days. We are delighted that this trip will be accompanied by lecturers Pierre Terjanian of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Paul Bracken of Yale University and Michael McCormick of Harvard University. This trip is cosponsored by the Harvard Alumni Association, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Yale Educational Travel. We expect this program to fill quickly. Please call the Museum Travel Alliance at (855) 533-0033 or (212) 302-3251 or email [email protected] to reserve a place on this trip. We hope you will join us. Sincerely, Jim Friedlander President MUSEUM TRAVEL ALLIANCE 1040 Avenue of the Americas, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10018 | 212-302-3251 or 855-533-0033 | Fax 212-344-7493 [email protected] | www.museumtravelalliance.com BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Travel with June 29–July
    [Show full text]
  • Kaliningrad Region, Russia
    Norwegian-Russian Business Meetings in Kaliningrad Kaliningrad region, Russia Total area: 15.1 th.sq.km. Coat of arms of Population: est. 968,200 (2004 est.) Kaliningrad Region Governor: Georgy Boos Administrative center: Kaliningrad Kaliningrad Total area: 215.7 sq. km. Population: 434,954 (2005 est.) Mayor: Yuri Savenko Coat of arms of Kaliningrad Geography The Kaliningrad region is located on the south-east coast of the Baltic Sea. It is the most western region of the Russian Federation, totally separated by land borders of foreign states and the Baltic Sea from the rest of the country. The region has 200 km border on Lithuania in the north and in the east and 210 km border on Poland in the south. In the west 140 km coast is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea and the two bays: Curonian and Kaliningradsky. The total area of the region with the bays is 15.1 th.sq.km, including 13.3 th.sq.km of land. There are about 800 km to the nearest Russian regional centre - Pskov, 1290 km - to Moscow. At the same time the region is located in close vicinity to some European capitals: 350 km to Vilnius, 390 km to Riga, 400 km to Warsaw, 600 km to Berlin, 650 km to Stockholm, 680 km to Copenhagen, 850 km to Oslo. Transit communications crossing the region are the shortest way that connects Russia and Western Europe. History The territory that the region occupies today is known in Europe from early Middle Ages. The XIII century was marked by arrival to this area of the knights of the Teutonic Order who conquered heathen Prussians and organized here a military religious state.
    [Show full text]
  • Guerrilla Warfare on the Amber Coast
    All articles published in the Journal of Special Operations Medicine are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, or otherwise published without the prior written permission of Breakaway Media, LLC. Contact [email protected]. Guerrilla Warfare on the Amber Coast Tauras KV, Cherne L. Guerrilla Warfare on the Amber Coast. New York, NY: Lithuanian Research Institute, Voyages Press; 1962. Hardback, 121 pages. ASIN: B06XGNDM5K (ISBN-10: 1258496593 / ISBN-13: 978-1258496593 for newer reprints). Review by COL (Ret) Warner “Rocky” D. Farr, MD, MPH uerrilla leaders seldom write books after the fight- final limiting factor. Most LFA fighters built small, iso- Ging is over. They are probably too busy setting up lated, underground pillboxes on sympathetic farms and the new regime! Those who “lose” write even fewer stored both war supplies and incriminating documen- books. K.V. Tauras is the pseudonym tation against the Soviets in these the so-called archive of a Lithuanian freedom fighter who bunkers. withheld his identity to be able to return to the fight after this book Women were used extensively for ”liaison work.” This was published in 1952. He stated consisted of rapid conveyance of resistance plans and that some of the book’s material orders, distribution of its underground press to the came from J. Lukša, who did return public, and transportation of munitions from oversup- to the fight later and was executed plied units to those experiencing shortages. It was noted by the People’s Commissariat for that the female liaisons were not only “devoted, deter- Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union mined, and able” but also “inconspicuous in the eyes (Народный комиссариат внутренних дел [Narodnyi of the NKVD.” Many were teenagers, some of whom Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del; NKVD]).
    [Show full text]
  • Riga Metropolitan Area Mobility Spatial Vision
    Riga Metropolitan Area Mobility Spatial Vision FINAL REPORT „Elaboration of the Riga Metropolitan Area Mobility Spatial Vision” ID No. RPR/2018/2/NSB-Core Riga Planning Region Reg. No. 90002222018 18 Zigfrida Annas Meierovica blvd. Riga, LV-1050 Grupa93, Ltd. Reg. No. LV50103129191 3-4 K. Barona Street, Riga, LV-1050 Riga 2019 „Elaboration of the 'Riga Metropolitan Area Mobility Spatial Vision”, final report (ID no. RPR/2018/2/NSB-Core) Content INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 3 1. OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION ............................................................ 6 1.1. Aviation ........................................................................................................... 7 1.2. Railway ............................................................................................................ 8 1.3. Roads and streets ........................................................................................... 14 1.4. Vehicles .......................................................................................................... 16 1.5. Freight flow .................................................................................................... 17 1.6. Public transport .............................................................................................. 18 1.7. Sea and river transport ................................................................................... 23 1.8. Cycling ...........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Review of the Transport and Logistics System of the Republic of Belarus
    UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE Review of the Transport and Logistics System of the Republic of Belarus UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE ECE/TRANS/233 REVIEW OF THE TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS SYSTEM OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS UNITED NATIONS New York and Geneva, 2013 1 Review of the transport and logistics system of the Republic of Belarus NOTE Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal aspects, status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, nor do they concern the delimitation of their frontiers or boundaries. The maps and country reports are only for information purposes. Related data was sent by the countries concerned and the respective content is their complete responsibility. In the few cases that countries did not provide data, the secretariat provided data from available sources. The UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) under the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in the United Nations Secretariat (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/UNGEGN/ default.html) deals with names on the basis of Member State driven initiatives. Acknowledgements: Special thanks to the Government of Belarus, in particular, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Transport and Communications as well as the experts of the School of Business and Management of Technology of the Belarus State University in Minsk for their excellent cooperation with the Economic Commission for Europe in carrying out this project in a timely and efficient manner.
    [Show full text]