Ukraine expects 50 mln euros from EU to develop port infrastructure for agricultural exports

MOSCOW. Aug 5 (Interfax) - A priority area of agrarian assistance is restoring and developing logistics, to which end the Ukrainian government plans to raise 50 million euros from the European Union, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal was quoted as saying by Ukrainian media.

"Key here is the operation of the Ukrainian sea corridor," he said on Telegram. Over the 11 months since its launch, cargo turnover at Greater Odessa ports totaled 60 million tonnes, including almost 41 million tonnes of food exports, Shmygal said.

The Cabinet resolved on Friday to raise 50 million euros in EU assistance to finance the repair and development of Ukraine's port infrastructure, he said.

The Cabinet's representative in parliament, Taras Melnichuk said on Telegram that the government approved a draft additional agreement, in the form of an exchange of letters, between Ukraine and the European Commission to the agreement on financing under the Support for Rapid Recovery of Ukraine program (contract for development and strengthening resilience).

The additional agreement calls for the EU to provide 50 million euros of additional financing for Ukraine's state budget to repair and improve port infrastructure by redistributing funding under the EU's Recovery and Reform Support program.

Furthermore, another additional agreement provides for a 24-month extension for the practical implementation and concluding stage of the agreement on financing the Recovery and Reform Support program.