2 Mar 2023 12:46

Romania plans to build pontoon bridge across Prut River to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports

MOSCOW. March 2 (Interfax) - The Romanian government, in cooperation with the Moldovan authorities, will build a pontoon bridge across the Prut River on the border in order to facilitate the transportation of goods, mainly grain, from Ukraine, Ukrainian media said with reference to the website of the Gospodarka Morska Polish media outlet, which, in turn, cites State Secretary of the Romanian Ministry of Transport Irinel Scriosteanu.

A new pontoon crossing will be built on the site where there was a bridge, subsequently destroyed, between the Romanian village of Bumbata and the city of Leova in Moldova until 1944, Scriosteanu said.

This pontoon bridge will be used for both cars and trucks, he said.

"In recent months, the governments of Romania and Moldova have announced a number of logistics projects to improve the transport of goods from Ukraine, especially grain. The Romanian port of Constanta is essential to shipping grain from this country via the Black Sea," the Polish media outlet said.

As reported, Romania became the largest importer of Ukrainian grain in 2022, even though it was not even among the top 20 importers in 2021. Romania accounted for 13.6% of the total value of Ukrainian grain exports last year. In 2022, Romania increased imports from Ukraine by 690-fold year-on-year - to $1.24 billion from $1.8 million.