MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. Russia received tremendous opportunities to develop Siberia and the Far East owing to construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM), President Vladimir Putin said at the joint meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev with veterans - BAM builders.

BAM personifies giant labor and courage of two million very young people from across the entire Soviet Union, the Russian leader said. "They implemented the unique project in all aspects, with nothing comparable with it in the world history," Putin noted.

"We see now that BAM is largely determining the global logistics for the entire 21st century. Our country received great opportunities to explore and develop Siberia, the Far East, to expand cargo transportation in direction of the Pacific Ocean. It can be directly stated that the turn to the east at the current stage has become possible exactly owing to the Baikal-Amur Mainline," the President stressed.