Russia suggests forming consortium to build a canal parallel to Volga-Don

The idea of forming an international consortium for the project in south Russia was suggested by President Vladimir Putin in his annual address to parliament Thursday. He said the new passage would improve navigation between the Caspian and the Black Seas and change the geopolitical importance of Caspian states.

Built in 1952, the 101-kilometer canal has an annual capacity of 16.5 million metric tons. It takes between 10 and 12 hours for vessels to pass the canal. APA-Economics