Vladimir Putin and Sergei Frank discussed possible commercial flights via the North Pole, which would help shorten air routes and create a new transport corridor for the international community.
Sergei Frank told the President that several foreign companies had stated their intention to perform such flights.
The Transport Minister also said the federal target programme for overhauling the national transport network for 2002–2010 had been prolonged. The programme aims to overcome the technological lag in some spheres and to reduce transport costs for the economy and private individuals.
Sergei Frank spoke about the fulfillment of President Putin’s orders to improve transport services for the Kaliningrad Region. He aid it had been decided to establish a ferry route operating independently of adjacent countries’ transport networks.