BAR - International Transport Conference “Strategic Development of Traffic Corridor Bucharest - Belgrade - Bar - Bari” organized by Montenegrin Ministry of Transport, Sea and Telecommunication and Faculty of Transport and Telecommunication Management from Berane was held in Bar on May 31st , 2010.
Conference was opened by Montenegrin Transport Minister dr Andrija Lompar which stressed the importance of Bucharest - Belgrade - Bar - Bari corridor and presented Montenegrin plans for further transport system development. Italian Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport presented Italian plans and initiatives for cooperation with South East Europe and other transport experts from Western Balkans presented the importance of proposed Corridor IVb. SEETO General Manager Slavjanka Petruseva presented the regional perspective of the South East Europe Regional Core Transport Network with special emphasis to Route 4 which connects Romanian border (Vrsac) with Belgrade, Podgorica and further to Bar. Ms. Petruseva stressed that TEN-T Policy Review is ongoing and that SEETO Participants should participate in this process. Concerning the SEE Core Network she pointed out the following facts:
•    Nowadays SEE Core Network is established as multimodal regional transport network. It comprise of 6,554 km roads, 4,807 km railways, 4 rivers, 10 seaports, 17 airports and 8 inland waterway ports. The last SEE Core Network modification was done in 2009.
•    The SEE Core Network is precursor of TEN-T and it will serve as basis for accession negotiation.
•    Route Bar – Podgorica – Belgrade - Vrsac  is SEE Core Network Route 4 and represents multimodal axis which connects Adriatic Sea with Montenegrin hinterland, Serbia and further Romania. The road Route 4 is 597 km long, and rail Route 4 is 580 km with several transport terminals alongside.
•    Route 4 connects landlocked parts of Montenegro and Serbia with major Corridors and transport terminals and enables efficient regional link. It should be stated that rail Route 4 is not connected with TEN-T network and that missing link (Romanian railway section: Serbian border – Timisoara) should be introduced in revisited TEN-T.
More information on Conference you can find at Montenegrin Ministry of Transport web site: http://www.minsaob.gov.me/vijesti/97114/Najava-Medunarodna-konferencija-Strateski-razvoj-saobracajnog-koridora-Bukurest-Beograd-Bar-Bari-4B-31-maj-2010-godine-Bar.html