MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Cargo traffic on Russia’s inland waterways is expected to edge up by 5% as of year-end 2023, head of the Russian Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport Zakhariy Dzhioev told reporters on Friday.

Cargo traffic carried via domestic inland waterways rose 5.3% year on year as at year-end 2022 to stand at 116.4 million metric tons.

"We do not know exactly yet, but we are looking forward to approximately the same pace [of growth], that is, about 5%," the official said.

Under the socio-economic development outlook prepared by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, freight traffic on domestic inland waterways may grow by 16.6% by 2025, versus the 2021 level, to reach 128.9 million metric tons.