Dear Friends!  On behalf of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and on my behalf I welcome the participants, guests and initiators of VI International Conference “Transport services market: cooperation and partnership. 10 years of railway transport reform”.  The integration of Russia into world economy requires appropriate reconstruction of the transport infrastructure. The tasks set by the Strategy of Railway Transport Development up to 2030 are indeed large-scale, significant and ambitious. Thousands of kilometers of new railways are in prospect. The modernization of the current railway network and re-equipment of our rolling stock fleet are also in prospect. Everything must strengthen competitiveness and geopolitical position of our country, give an impulse to socio-economic growth, development of Russia as well as eliminate infrastructural limits for the growth. Even now we can see these limits. That is why today we speak about priority development of infrastructure and, particularly, the railway transport.  The prime objective is active promotion of systemic reforms in the railway economy. They have already started and their main objective is to create truly market, open and competitive environment. It means to create foreseeable and long-term rules for businessmen and investors. Competitiveness is the best method to reach normal tariff and price policies.  I think that VI International Conference “Transport services market: cooperation and partnership. 10 years of railway transport reform” is a basis for further mutually beneficial cooperation of all participants in the transportation process.  Minister of Transport of Russian Federation        I. E. Levitin