On 6 March, during a high-level meeting, the partners reiterated their unwavering commitment to continue supporting Ukraine access to trade routes securing its key exports and imports. The partners (Romania, Moldova and Ukraine) acknowledged the importance of enhancing further regional cooperation to ensure seamless transport and logistics operations in a contingency context. They agreed, in particular, to continue working together on rolling out the Danube Action Plan 2.0, created under the European Commission’s Solidarity Lanes initiative, to strengthen cooperation for efficient and safe navigation on the Danube River, promote effective communication between ports in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova, optimize information exchange to support transport operations and offer swift responses to address possible traffic disruption in Black Sea / Danube river.
The partners reaffirm their commitment to continue collaborating closely to maintain and improve transport links between Danube ports, enhance safety and efficiency of navigation, and establish contingency mechanisms for crisis situations, ensuring unimpeded access to Danube ports. By continuing to work together, they aim to promote the use of waterway transport, secure transport and transshipment capacity in case of need.
Due to the vulnerability of land routes connecting Ukraine to the Danube ports, the partners agreed to expand this cooperation mechanism also to land transport connections (rail and road) in order to provide additional backup solutions in case of need, focusing on increased road border crossing point capacity through enhanced control proceedings and updated access infrastructure and equipment as well as on developing economically viable solutions to incentivize the use of alternative rail routes, in particular through Moldova.
Beyond contingency aspects, this cooperation is also aimed at paving the ground for a future integrated, safe and secure and resilient regional transport system, equally beneficial to all partners. This cooperation mechanism will be aiming at coordinating project planning and investments, guaranteeing a high level of transport services for users with the goal of integrating the Ukrainian and Moldovan transport systems into that of the EU.