The Ministry of Development held a founding meeting with the European Investment Bank (EIB) team on the development and restoration of port infrastructure.
The parties discussed the current state of port infrastructure, priorities for its restoration, financing needs, medium-term planning and projects that will be submitted to the Single Portfolio of Projects (SPP2026).
Deputy Minister Maryna Denysiuk thanked the EIB for its systematic support to Ukraine during the war and emphasized the critical importance of port infrastructure for ensuring economic stability, trade relations and long-term growth of the country.
“We highly appreciate the EIB’s expertise in strategic planning and implementation of infrastructure projects. We are deeply grateful for the support and openness to cooperation, especially in the area of port infrastructure, which is critically important for the Ukrainian economy and global food security,” the Deputy Minister noted.
The participants considered the possibilities of expanding technical assistance from the EIB, as well as the issue of including port restoration projects in the list of public investment projects this year.
Deputy Minister Andriy Kashuba stressed the importance of close cooperation with the EIB and confirmed the relevance of investments in the strategically important maritime and inland waterway transport infrastructure of Ukraine.
“Today, Ukraine is focused not only on the restoration, but also on the modernization of water transport - both maritime and inland. We see great potential in projects to restore navigation infrastructure, update the technical fleet, develop logistics on the Danube and integrate Ukrainian ports into the European transport network,” the Deputy Minister noted.
Andriy Kashuba also emphasized the readiness for further cooperation with the EIB in forming a common vision for investments in the water transport infrastructure of Ukraine.
On the part of the EIB, the meeting was attended by Kristina Mikulova, Head of the EIB Regional Representation in Eastern Europe, as well as Istvan Heinzinger, Sebastien Collo and Tetiana Roshchina.
The European Investment Bank remains a key partner of Ukraine in the field of infrastructure development. Over the years of cooperation, the EIB has invested over 7 billion euros in the implementation of projects in the fields of transport, energy, municipal development and reconstruction.
The Ministry representatives stressed the importance of accelerating tender and procurement procedures, which are critical for launching reconstruction works, as well as the need to update financial agreements and obtain guarantees from the European Commission for the implementation of new infrastructure projects. x initiatives.
The parties agreed to further coordinate efforts to implement new projects and strengthen cooperation within the framework of EU initiatives and the Ukraine Recovery Plan.