The Hon. Steve Ashton, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation of Manitoba, visited Krasnoyarskiy Krai on August 19-20, 2010.

During the visit a meeting with Mr. Denis Pashkov, Minister of Industry and energy of Krasnoyarskiy Krai, took place. The sides discussed resuming of creative dialogue between Russian and Canadian regions, and determined priorities of bilateral cooperation during implementation of Northern Air Bridge Project.

More and more carriers nowadays find it promising to transport cargoes using cross-polar route between Krasnoyarsk and Winnipeg. In this regard creating the conditions to increase volume of transportation is an important venue of the development of cooperation between the Canadian Province of Manitoba and Krasnoyarskiy Krai, as well as of Russian-Canadian trade and economic interaction on the whole. Convenient geographic location would enable Krasnoyarskiy Krai and Manitoba to take leading positions in providing regular air flights between Northern America and Asian states.“Today’s meeting is a continuation of our contacts with Manitoba, - noted Denis Pashkov,- the sides signed joint statement on cooperation in the realm of development of air routes in 2007 on margins of the session of the Russian-Canadian Intergovernmental Economic Commission. We mean cross-polar flights between North America to the countries of Asian region with participation of Krasnoyarsk airport. Second task we are to solve together is a matter of providing communications along all cross-polar routes.”

“We have reached great progress since the negotiations began some years ago, - stated Minister Ashton,- We see how much has been done at the Krasnoyarsk airport, we develop infrastructure in our Province as well. I know that Krasnoyarskiy Krai is a geographic center of Russia. Winnipeg is a geographic center of North America. We have really much in common. Cross-polar flights should make Siberia and Canada’s North “main entrance” to the states of Asia. And now I do not ask “if”, I ask “when””

Technical specialists from Manitoba will come to Krasnoyarsk to work out the details of the project in October, 2010. A delegation of Krasnoyarsk will visit Winnipeg in November to work at the Conference on the Northern transportation.