In an address Monday, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin said the Baikal-Amur Mainline and Trans-Siberian Railway lines should connect Europe and Asia.

Putin called for the conjunction during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. He also said Russia wishes to invest in modernization of these railways; he said he considers them a bridge between continents.

Modernization efforts would include traffic-control systems and navigation technology. The Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) is considered one of the longest globally. With this railway and the Trans-Siberian Railway on board, bridging Europe and Asia would be an easy task.

“All this will help to significantly accelerate freight movements,” the Russian leader said at the summit, noting that the country continues to develop infrastructure on the Northern Sea Route, which mostly hugs Russia's northern coastline and is now a primary Arctic shipping route. "It should become a modern, safe and economically competitive transport corridor, mostly oriented toward cargoes from Asia-Pacific countries."

He then called on other nations served by these lines to join this effort.