Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis and the delegation are leaving for the International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit in Leipzig, Germany, on Tuesday. The transport ministers of ITF countries, industry leaders and representatives of international organisations from around the world will discuss increasing connectivity, sustainable transport developments and support for Ukraine. As Lithuania concludes its year-long presidency of the ITF, Mr Skuodis will hand over the Presidency to Chile.
Lithuania has held the Presidency of the ITF since May 2023.
On 22-24 May in Leipzig, Mr Skuodis will participate in ministerial meetings, roundtables and sessions on the development of more sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility, road traffic safety, increasing resilience of the international transport and logistics sectors in the face of geopolitical challenges, as well new opportunities fats paced innovations present. Mr Skuodis will also give account of Lithuania’s year-long chairmanship of the ITF, reviewing the most important activities carried out during the Lithuanian Presidency of the ITF. The Minister will also visit the stands and pavilions of companies from various countries.
The event will also include a special ministerial round table discussion on further increasing and streamlining international assistance to recover Ukraine's transport infrastructure. Consistent and active support for the reconstruction of Ukraine's transport infrastructure and the development of connectivity in the region have featured especially high on Lithuanian ITF Presidency’s agenda.
In December 2023, Lithuania, together with Sweden, Canada and Ukraine, established the CIG4U (Common Interest Group for Transport in Ukraine) in Kyiv. In April this year, the ITF High Level Meeting in Trakai brought together transport ministers and representatives from around 30 countries to take stock of CIG4U activities and agree on ways to boost international support for the reconstruction and further development of Ukraine's transport infrastructure.
It is expected that some new member countries from different regions will be acceded to the ITF at the Leipzig Summit.
Dubbed as ‘Davos of Transport’, the ITF Summit is annually held in Leipzig in May. It is the largest international transport policy event, bringing together transport ministers from around the world to discuss strategic issues with business leaders, international organisations and the transport community. The ITF at the OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with nearly 70 member countries. The programme for this year's ITF Summit in Leipzig can be found here.