Alignment, safety, sustainability become priorities of EU-Ukraine transport dialogue - European Commission

MOSCOW. March 22 (Interfax) - The transport dialogue between the European Union and Ukraine focuses on three main cross-cutting priorities, such as improving mobility, safety and sustainability, Director-General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) at the European Commission Magda Kopczynska said following the 3rd high-level meeting of the EU-Ukraine Transport Dialogue in Kiev.

"The EU and Ukraine have agreed on strengthening cooperation and alignment across all modes of transport. It's the result of the 3rd high-level meeting of the EU-Ukraine Transport Dialogue," Ukrainian media outlets quoted Kopczynska as saying on Thursday evening.

Ukraine's Restoration Ministry, in turn, said that it was the first such meeting over the past five years. It addressed cooperation in developing all modes of transport and modernizing critical transport infrastructure with a focus on the TEN-T network, the development of border infrastructure, extending the EU-Ukraine agreement liberalizing road freight transport, and support for the aircraft sector. The parties also discussed the need to agree regulatory legal acts to maintain transport safety and introduce sustainable solutions to ensure intercity and urban mobility, it said.

Kopczynska also said that other issues on the agenda were the sea corridor unilaterally announced by Kiev, the development of the Danube cluster, steps to boost cargo traffic by Ukrainian Railways and along the Solidarity Lanes to support Ukrainian imports and exports and maintain the integrity of the EU transport system as a whole.

Since the last high-level meeting in 2019, EU-Ukraine transport cooperation has changed significantly, she said. The Road Transport Agreement was signed, Ukraine joined the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the TEN-T maps were revised with its participation, she said.

"Our cooperation with the European Commission, including DG Move, in transport and logistics has played a decisive role in increasing exports and imports between Ukraine and EU countries. At the same time, there are many common plans, including as part of the CEF program, through which we plan to build a number of crossings on the border," Ukrainian media quoted Deputy Prime Minister and Restoration Minister Alexander Kubrakov as saying in a statement circulated by the ministry's press service.

Extending the EU-Ukraine agreement on permit-free operations of road freight carriers requires enhanced cooperation, because it is critical to the survival of the Ukrainian economy, Kubrakov said.

As reported earlier, the European Commission proposed extending the road transport agreement with Ukraine and Moldova until at least the end of 2025, but a number of new points may be added to its text.

Ukraine and the EU launched their transport dialogue in 2017. It was designed as a platform for regular contacts between Ukraine's Infrastructure Development Ministry and EU officials to support infrastructure reforms in Ukraine.