"The Japanese are ready to build a tunnel for $30-32 million per kilometer [in Russia such construction costs $100 million per km now]," said the source.
The draft discussed now implies building a 7-kilometer-long tunnel between Sakhalin and the mainland, and a 42-km tunnel between Sakhalin and Hokkaido.
This issue has been discussed at an intergovernmental commission session. "If we don't take a place in international transport corridors, China and Kazakhstan will," said the source.
A total of 95% of cargoes dispatched from west to east and vice versa go through the Suez Canal. New transport corridors will considerably cut the time required for cargo delivery.
Russia's transport strategy until 2020, due to be discussed at a government session tomorrow, reflects the necessity to build international transport corridors, said the ministry source.
