Ten container ships with exports arrive, depart from Greater Odessa ports - Sea Ports Authority of Ukraine

MOSCOW. May 29 (Interfax) - The Sea Ports Authority of Ukraine is working to expand and restore the pre-crisis range of cargos and, in particular, has received and dispatched ten container ships from the Greater Odessa ports, Authority head Yury Litvin said.

"Judging by the dynamics we are observing, 2024 will definitely set a record and regain the average pre-crisis level. It will top 100 million tonnes," Ukrainian media cited Litvin as saying at the Grain Storage Forum in Kiev on Tuesday.

The authority is working to expand and restore the pre-crisis range of cargos and on its further development, Litvin said.

"As of now, ten container ships have arrived and departed from the Greater Odessa ports, and the trend is upward," he said.

Ukraine is at the final stage of negotiations on the resumption of ferry traffic to and from Azerbaijan, Litvin said.

"Negotiations on resuming ferry transportation from Baku to Ukraine and transit through all countries passed by ships are at the final stage. We hope that ferry service will become available in the near future," he said.

He added that the ferry line operation would depend on the market, including the crop yield, the work of the entire agricultural sector, the range of exported and imported goods, and general functioning of the economy.

The authority seeks to restore port infrastructure at least to the pre-crisis level within the next two years, which would require 9 billion to 9.5 billion hryvni, Litvin said.