Intermodal

Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov discussed with the head of the CITIC Group Xi Guohua the pace of implementation of joint infrastructure projects. At the meeting, issues of developing Kazakh-Chinese cooperation in the fields of energy and industry were discussed. Currently, with the participation of CITIC Group, major projects are being implemented to reconstruct roads of national importance, including the Taldykorgan – Ust-Kamenogorsk and Karaganda – Balkhash highways, where construction work is carried out on 24 sections with a total length of 1,131 km.

Within the LI session of the OSJD Ministerial Conference held from June 18 to 20, 2024, a significant Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed. The ceremony, marking this milestone, was opened by Mr. Miroslaw Antonowicz, Chairman of the OSJD Committee, who welcomed delegations to Warsaw and highlighted ongoing OSJD initiatives.

Contargo Beteiligungs GmbH has acquired a ten percent stake in Lille Dourges Conteneur Terminal SAS (LDCT) in France, which has operated the Dourges terminal since 2003. This strategic investment aims to broaden Contargo’s customer base, enhance service offerings for existing clients, and strengthen its foothold in the French market.

Rhenus, Europe’s leading home goods delivery operator, has acquired a 15% stake in French logistics company C Chez Vous from Geopost. The deal, concluded on June 28, 2024, allows Rhenus to enter the French home delivery market for the first time. Geopost retained an 80% stake in the company and through this partnership, C Chez Vous will have access to the expertise of Rhenus, a leader in the home and lifestyle logistics market.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chinese President Xi Jinping held negotiations with official delegations of the two countries. The discussion centered on the prospects for investment cooperation in areas such as e-commerce, production of automobiles and auto parts, logistics, energy, agriculture, finance and tourism.

A new Alliance of Logistics Centers and Cargo Carriers has been launched under the aegis of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) following its inaugural meeting on June 28, 2024, in Tashkent. The meeting, chaired by OTS Deputy Secretary General Dr. Mirvokhid Azimov, attracted over 100 participants, including representatives from more than 30 major logistics centers, ports, and transport companies from OTS member states. High-level officials from Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Customs Committee, along with diplomatic missions from OTS countries, also attended the event.

PTC Cargo, a subsidiary of PTC Holding, has entered into a memorandum of cooperation with Jiangsu International Rail Freight Express Co., opening new horizons for jointly promoting assets and strengthening multimodal transport between China and Southeast Asia. According to the memorandum, the companies will work to develop the terminals of the PTC Holding group and use market demand to expand cooperation in rail, road and sea transportation.

MG Real Estate and Yusen Logistics Benelux have unveiled a cutting-edge pharmaceutical warehouse in Gembloux, Wallonia. Spanning 40,000 m², this facility is the largest biopharmaceutical logistics center in Wallonia and features advanced technologies such as autonomous mobile robots and automated packaging systems. The warehouse, which runs entirely on green energy and holds a BREEAM “Very Good” certification, will enable Belgium’s leading pharmaceutical company to store and export millions of vaccines and raw materials to over 160 countries. The inauguration was graced by Willy Borsus, Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister of Economy & Research.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu held a meeting with representatives of foreign companies, including the management of the Finnish company Nurminen Logistics Plc.

Pavel Lagov, Director of Product Management (CIS), Rail Solutions International, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Germany, shared that the company’s initial attempts to use the Middle Corridor were not very successful. They were trying to transport cargo from China to Europe for one of the world’s largest OEM suppliers, but their expectations for transit time and financial results were significantly lower than realistic. Many companies that have tried this route have encountered serious problems. The main reasons were bottlenecks and insufficient infrastructure in key locations such as Baku and Aktau, which seriously complicated logistics.