The importance of the Russian Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) was emphasized by Pavel Feldman, Associate Professor of the Academy of Labor and Social Relations, in an interview with Sputnik. The BAM lies “where the center of global development will be in the future...The land route leading from Europe to Pacific ports opens a window into the Asian economic space for Russia and its partners,” Feldman noted. “The reorientation of our country to the East is turning from a ‘futuristic concept’ into an inevitable scenario for the development of events… The BAM is not just a railway, but the most important factor in ensuring the territorial integrity and national security of the Russian Federation.”
The BAM’s key economic and strategic importance is a proven fact, agreed veteran Russian military expert Ivan Konovalov. Current reality shows that this was “an epic, far-sighted, long-term project,” he said.
