BALTIC TANGENT NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR SOUTHESTONIA

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BALTIC TANGENT NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR
SOUTH-ESTONIA

• Madis Gross
• Chairman of Valga County Association of Local
  Authorities

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Estonia
South- Estonia
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Characteristic for South-Estonia

• Limited resources, small internal market
• Key to success we have to be open
• Transport and communication are important
• Good functioning of the transport system
• No airports nor dirct access to the sea
• The existing railway and landroad network
• GATEWAY BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

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Valga Railway Junction

• Railway to three dirctions
• Tartu and Tallinn
• Riga and Western Europe
• Pskov and Russia

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Riga-Valga-Pskov
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The Estonian Section of the Baltic Tangent

• Traditional route between Riga and St. Petersburg
• In good operational order
• Underused since 1990s
• The reason though national borders
• New possibilities in the EU
• New Koidula border crossing station
• Construction works starting in 2007

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BT Activator of Development

• Shortening of distances
• Better access to markets
• How to gain profit. If trains only pass through,
  there is no effect
• Storing of goods, redirecting of goods,
  processing of goods, packing of goods, gaining of
  additional value
• New working places

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BT Activator of Development (2)

• Benefit not only for transport and storage
  companies
• Agricultural producers
• Foodstuff processing
• Wood and timber processing
• Furniture companies
• Metal workshops

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Investments are badly needed

• Survey what investments are most urgently needed?
• Strategies how to gain the investments
• How to raise funds?
• How to tempt eventual investors?

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Points to Take out Profit
Koidula
Antsla
Võru
Valga
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Welfare for the Community

• Acknowledgement of the threats
• Railway is more environment friendly than truck
  transport
• High concentration level on the railway
• Hazardous goods
• Noise in settlements caused by railway
• Long waiting on railway crossing
• Accidents of railway and road crossings