OREANDA-NEWS. Construction of the world’s first cross-border cableway will support development of tourism in the border areas of the two countries, attract investment for the development of a modern tourist infrastructure in the Amur Region, and promote socioeconomic development in the region.

Submitted by the Ministry of Transport pursuant to a respective Government instruction.

A directive was signed to authorise an agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the construction, operation and maintenance of a cableway over the Amur River (Heilong Jiang) at the Russian-Chinese border between Blagoveshchensk (the Russian Federation) and Heihe (the People’s Republic of China) (hereinafter, the Agreement, cableway).

The distance between Blagoveshchensk (the Amur Region, the Russian Federation) and Heihe (Heilong Jiang, China) is 750 km across the Amur River.

The cableway is required to carry passengers and cargo in cable cars across the Russian-Chinese border. The infrastructure would include stations, support structures, equipment and auxiliary facilities.

The world’s first cross-border cableway would encourage tourism in the border areas of the two countries and provide favourable conditions for a fast and convenient crossing of the Russian-Chinese border by individuals all year round.

The cableway project is planned for completion between 2015 and 2018: including the design stage in 2015, construction between 2016 and 2017, and a planned opening in the first quarter of 2018.

Implementation of the Agreement would make the Amur Region more attractive to tourism and attract investment for development of a modern tourist infrastructure in the region and would promote socioeconomic development.