A working meeting was held in Izmail between representatives of the SE “Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority”, delegation of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), and the Danube Commission.
The European delegation included Alan Baron, Head of the European Commission’s “Solidarity Lanes” team; Ina Miskulin, representative of DG MOVE; and Antonio Stojan, expert of the Danube Commission.
The main focus of the talks was navigational safety in the Black Sea and on the Danube River. The parties discussed the operation of Ukraine’s Bystre Estuary and Romania’s Sulina Canal, as well as mechanisms to be incorporated into the Rapid Response Plan currently being developed jointly with the European Commission.
Special attention was given to prospects for increasing cargo throughput in the Danube ports and developing port infrastructure.
The Ukrainian side expressed gratitude to the European Commission and the Danube Commission for their prompt support following the incident involving the vessel “Ingulsky” in the Bystre approach channel. USPA emphasised the importance of continuous cooperation with international partners, which enables effective responses to challenges, maintains navigational stability, and advances port infrastructure development amid wartime conditions.
Following the meeting, the parties confirmed their mutual interest in developing infrastructure in the Danube region and agreed to continue regular dialogue on navigational safety and optimisation of transport routes.
