Ukraine, U.S. sign memorandum on transport cooperation

KYIV. May 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg signed a memorandum of cooperation during the International Transport Forum 2022 Summit, the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry press service said on Thursday.

"Among the key objectives of the memorandum's implementation, we expect to renew the entire fleet of locomotives and rail carriages by 2030, build a fast railway communication system between major cities, and upgrade the railway infrastructure, especially in major cities. Our priorities also include working in partnership with our American counterparts on projects for modernizing the existing motor roads and installing automatic weigh stations on them," the ministry's press service quoted Kubrakov as saying.

The memorandum also reaffirms the parties' intention to continue close cooperation on airspace security and the safe operation of civil aviation, on developing and implementing high-quality and environmentally friendly aviation fuels and other clean technologies that meet high international standards, cooperation on alternative fuels, transport electrification, and the use of market mechanisms and technological progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport industry, it said.

In addition, the memorandum solidifies an agreement under which the parties would facilitate the U.S. and Ukrainian private sector's commercial involvement and investment in commercial projects, as well as its participation in public procurements and exports of goods and services.

The agreement also provides for promoting digital technologies and cooperation to improve transport cybersecurity and exchange information on new cyber threats, the ministry said.