Ukraine intends to resume operations of container terminals at Odessa ports - Deputy PM

MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - Ukraine will send the first container ships to Romania's Constanta via the Danube within the next few days and then farther up the river, and it also plans to resume the operations of container terminals at the Greater Odessa ports, Deputy Prime Minister and Restoration Minister Alexander Kubrakov said.

"We'll begin exports and imports using containers and container terminals, which will resume operations at the Black Sea [ports] as soon as possible," Ukrainian media quoted Kubrakov as saying at the Ukraine. Year 2024 forum in Kiev on Sunday.

Ukraine also plans to lift some barriers in the near future in order to export more freight, primarily grain and metals, via the Ukrainian sea shipping route, he said.

Speaking of other plans to develop the trans-border infrastructure, Kubrakov mentioned the opening of new automobile border crossing points with Moldova, Romania, Hungary, and Poland.

"The four countries where crossing points will appear this year. All of this would help us diversify export routes," he said.

Ukraine will also continue to develop the Danube cluster, through which 30 million tonnes of freight was shipped last year, Kubrakov said. Private businesses have built over 20 new terminals for exporting and importing various goods over the first two years of the crisis, he said.

"Numerous projects will be completed and new ones will be built this year. We've liberalized whatever possible as much as we could. Decisions are made in a day or two now," he said.