Green corridor to link Ukraine with Moldova and Romania - ministry

MOSCOW. Oct 25 (Interfax) - Ukraine has begun negotiations with Moldova and Romania on establishing a green corridor between the road border crossing points of Reni (Ukraine), Giurgiulesti (Moldova), and Galati (Romania) to expedite exports of Ukrainian agrarian products, Ukrainian media reported with a reference to the Ministry for the Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure.

Ukrainian Deputy Minister for the Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Sergei Derkach, Secretary of State of the Moldovan Infrastructure and Regional Development Ministry Mircea Pascaluta, and Romanian Secretary of State for Transport and Infrastructure Ionel Scriosteanu discussed the matter at a trilateral meeting.

"The proposal on introducing a green corridor implies a number of procedures for all the three countries. This concerns primarily joint control between Ukraine and Moldova and coordinated control between Moldova and Romania. Owing to this decision, we will be able to reduce the number of stops for trucks and speed up control procedures this way," Derkach said.

The crossing points are located not far from each other and are strategic for goods shipped by road to ports, including Romania's Galati, the Ukrainian ministry said. Apart from joint control, a number of other decisions are required to establish a green corridor, including the construction of the Reni crossing, where Moldovan control officials could carry out the necessary procedures at the exit from Ukraine, it said.

Ukraine and Moldova intend to introduce joint customs and border control at the Reni crossing to speed up the shipment of Ukrainian agricultural produce to Romanian ports, Derkach said.

"We're starting to equip the crossing point. We plan to introduce joint control starting next year," Ukrainian media quoted Derkach as saying on his social account.

The project's implementation would reduce the number of stops trucks have to make on their way for control procedures to two from three, one while departing Ukraine and the other while entering Romania.

The plans for launching a green corridor also provide for reconstructing and expanding the Reni-Galati road from two to four lanes and technically upgrading the relevant border crossings, the ministry said.

The Reni-Giurgiulesti crossing is a key road border crossing point leading to Romanian ports, which is currently capable of letting through about 50 trucks a day. The main goal of developing its infrastructure and launching a green corridor is to increase its actual throughput capacity at least five-fold, the Ukrainian ministry said.