One of the most important aims of the Northern Dimension Partnership on Transport and Logistics (NDPTL) is to achieve a closer transport market integration with the neighbouring countries. Better links are needed within the Northern Dimension (ND) region to reduce remoteness and ensure connectivity, as well as further connections to the Northern Sea route, the Far East, the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions should be developed in response to the global development.

As a starting point to outline the elements of a sustainable regional transport system consultants defined a NDPTL Regional Transport Network (see maps below for the road and rail components). It connects the Trans European Transport Network (TEN-T) with the transport networks of the neighbouring territories, including the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Norway.

The NDPTL Regional Network was intended as a strategic multimodal network which includes motorways of the seas, road and rail links connecting the capitals and other large urban areas together with the selected nodes of ports, airports, border crossing points between EU and non-EU countries and rail-road terminals (RRT).

The regional network will ensure easier planning of infrastructure improvements on the most important routes for international traffic in Belarus, EU Member states, Norway and Russia. Furthermore, the development of the NDPTL Network will include both – infrastructure links improvement and harmonisation of soft measures to facilitate passenger and freight flows among the partner countries.