Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company completes talks on grain supplies to Romania's Constanta
MOSCOW. July 10 (Interfax) - The fleet of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company (UDP) will deliver Ukrainian agricultural products from the Danube ports of European countries to the Romanian port of Constanta, the volumes, terms and conditions of cooperation are already under discussion, Ukrainian media reported, citing the shipping company's statement on social media.
"The Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company is seen as a reliable partner, always clearly fulfilling its commitments. Last year, we concluded a contract with HBIS Group, one of the world's largest steel producers, for the supply of raw iron ore to Smederevo, we are consistently implementing it and have only positive feedback on the performance of our fleet," Vladislav Belakh, deputy general director of the company, said.
He is convinced that direct cooperation with global companies is the result of major changes that have taken place at the UDP over the past year and a half.
Belakh is sure that the long-term contract for grain supplies will bolster UDP's position in the middle reaches of the Danube River. After all, the convoys will be loaded on the way in both directions, which will substantially increase the profitability of transportation.
In order not to reduce the freight supply in the lower reaches of the Danube, the UDP plans to gradually increase the number of fleet in operation, he said.
"In June, the second production area at the Fleet Maintenance Base (FMB) became operational. As a result, we repaired 61 barges over the past month. This is a record figure. The queue for repairs has been minimized - the number of vessels in operation is growing - we are doing our utmost to meet the demand of Ukrainian agricultural producers for transportation," Belakh said.
He affirmed that the freight rates are gradually getting back to the level of last year's fall, explaining this as an objective process and noting that the UDP expects the rates to keep growing.