President of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin has been appointed as the International Union of Railways (UIC) chairman.
Yakunin, who will hold the position for two years with a possible two-year extension, replaces Satoshi Seino, president of East-Japan Railways.
The UIC is an international forum dedicated to the development of the global rail industry.
In an announcement following his appointment, Yakunin was quoted as saying he aimed to ‘urge railway companies to issue work standards, in promoting cooperation of international organisations covering quality and technology safety issues as well as establish a unified approach towards developing transport corridors’.
Soviet Railways was among the founding members of the UIC, but pulled out after World War II.
At the start of the 21st century, however, Russian Railways sought to re-enter the union following developments with international projects and new markets.