More efforts to link Chongqing with Russia will be undertaken this year, including a direct flight between Chongqing and locations in Russia, the vice-mayor of the city said on Wednesday.

The announcement was part of a conference on cooperation between Yangtze River regions in China and the Volga Federal District in Russia. The conference aims to deepen bilateral cooperation.

Direct flights between Chongqing and Moscow and between Chongqing and cities in the Volga Federal District are expected to start this year, Vice-Mayor Liu Qiang said.

In addition, a Russian consulate in Chongqing is in the plan, according to Alexey Sukhov, deputy plenipotentiary of the Russian President in the Volga Federal District.

In the near future, Chongqing and the Volga district will launch cooperative programs related to helicopter and seaplane manufacturing in an aviation-oriented industrial park in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area.

Liu said the direct flights will help promote Volga's tourism sector, given the increasing frequency and number of Chongqing tourists visiting Russia.

At the conference, Chongqing government officials promoted the 11,179-km Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe railway, which connects Chongqing with points west.

"The overall transportation cost of rail is much cheaper than shipment by water, and goods can be delivered to Russia within 12 days," Liu said.

With the rail connection, Chongqing stands to become a distribution and manufacturing center in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River region.

Up to 82 potential programs to serve Chongqing and the Volga Federal District in Russia were proposed during the conference.

jijin@chinadaily.com.cn