Chennai Port set to organize India-Russia Workshop on operationalizing the Eastern Maritime Corridor

Chennai Port Authority is organising India-Russia Workshop on 24t^h January in Chennai to operationalise the Eastern Maritime Corridor. Currently, the majority of trade between India and Russia is executed through the western sea route, connecting west coast of India and St. Petersburg via the Suez Canal and the Baltic Sea. The proposed Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) connects Ports on the East Coast of India to Far East Russian Ports via the Malacca Strait, the South China Sea and the Sea of Japan. The EMC is 40% shorter than the Western Sea Route, and promises a transit time of less than 18 days. The proposed EMC will not only reduce freight charges and transit times but also provide new avenues for trade relations in the Pacific.

During the Eastern Economic Forum 2023, held at Vladivostok, Russia in September 2023, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon'ble Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH, Government of India, met Mr. Alexey Chekunkov, Hon'ble Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic held fruitful discussions on establishing the Eastern Maritime Corridor and invited Russian delegates for a workshop in Chennai, India.

In the India-Russia workshop at Chennai, the Russian Delegation will be headed by Mr. Anatoly Yuryevich Bobrakov, Hon'ble Deputy Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Artic of the Russian Federation and include senior Officials from the Russian Federation. Industry representatives and business leaders from Russian Federation will also be participating in the workshop.

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, the Hon'ble Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH, will inaugurate the India-Russia Workshop in Chennai for operationalisation of the Eastern Maritime Corridor. Senior Government Officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Steel, etc. will adorn the occasion with their presence and participation in this event. Top business leaders from Indian Steel Sector, Coal sector, Oil and Gas, Fertilizers, Shipping Lines, Seaports and Terminals, etc. will be actively participating and engaging in bilateral discussions with Russian counterparts.

The Eastern Maritime Corridor holds immense potential for enhancing trade ties between India and the Russian Federation, especially for Crude, LNG, Coal, Fertilizers, and Containers, connecting strategic ports of both nations and unlocking new avenues for economic cooperation. The workshop will bring together distinguished delegates, including government officials, industry experts, and thought leaders, to deliberate on the corridor's operational challenges and collaborative solutions.

Background: The Eastern Maritime Corridor was conceptualized during 2^nd India — Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue (IRSED) held at New Delhi during July 2019. IRSED is conducted by India- Russia Joint Maritime Commission (JMC), an institution created following 1994 Agreement on Merchant Shipping between India & Russia. The Government of India through Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways represented by Chennai Port Authority has undertaken the task of operationalizing the Eastern Maritime Corridor.