In the run-up to the VI International Rail Business Forum "1520 Strategic Partnership", which will take place from 31 May to 2 June in Sochi, letters of support continue to come in to the participants and organisers.

The first to send a letter of support was Vladimir Yakunin, head of RZD. He said, "The themes of the  forthcoming forum are of especial interest from the point of view of establishing relationships of partnership between the  states of Europe and Asia on a long-term basis." Yakunin also expressed his conviction that during the forthcoming "1520 Strategic Partnership" business forum "joint approaches to the development of the railway industry in the Eurasian area will be developed".

Messages have also been sent by representatives of Siemens and Deutsche Bahn AG, which traditionally take part in the Sochi business forum. Thus Hans-JoergGrundmann, Chief Executive Officer of the Mobility Division and Vice President of Siemens AG, noted in his letter of support that "thanks to intensive cooperation, companies in the “1520 and 1435 areas” can jointly implement a modernisation strategy. And the intensive exchange of accumulated experience and the understanding of the specific steps to implement it will help the successful development of strategic partnership between the countries".

Dr RüdigerGrube, Chairman of the Board of Deutsche Bahn AG, in turn expressed his support for the "1520 Strategic Partnership" business forum", saying that "the success and prospects of rail transport depend to a large extent on the place which the railways of the 1435 and 1520 areas will take in global trade flows, especially jointly".

Among the Russian representatives of big business in the transport sector who have sent letters of support to the participants and organisers of the business forum are Oleg Siyenko, General Director of the Uralvagonzavod Corporation, and Gennady Talashkin, First Deputy General Director of RZDstroy.

Other partners of the forum include the Tikhvin Railway Car Building Works, TransCreditBank, RusRailLeasing, Freight One, Freight Two, RZD Trading House, RusEnergoSbyt, Nvision Group and Ernst & Young. The sponsors of the discussions are Transmashholding, Aeroexpress, Master Cleaning, NefteTransService, ZhASO and VTB Capital.