Report: Russia to Launch Shipping Service to Syria

Oboronlogistika Russia is looking to launch a direct shipping service to Syria, Dmitry Rogozin, Russias Deputy Prime Minister, was cited by the countrys news agency TASS as saying.  The launching of the new service comes as the trade turnover between the two countries increased by 42 percent during the first seven months of 2017 on a year-on-year basis. According to Rogozin, Russian companies are expected to play a major role in the process of Syrias economic revival amid the ongoing Syrian Civil War. Direct shipping line between Russian and Syrian ports is being created in parallel, Rogozin said at the 10th meeting of the Russian-Syrian commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation held on October 10. However, no other details on the planned shipping service were disclosed. As informed, the agricultural goods are currently transported by Oboronlogistika, a company which acts under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Defence of Russia and is a subsidiary of Oboronstroy. The companys fleet comprises three ships of RoRoLoLo type with vertical and horizontal loading function for transportation of cargo in trailers and containers. Each of the vessels has a deadweight of over 6,000 tons and a loading capacity of vessel cranes of 60-350 tons. World Maritime News Staff