The cargo turnover of the seaports of the Danube Region in January-October 2023 amounted to 27.6 million tons, which is 2.2 times more than in the same period of 2021 (12.6 million tons), said Yuriy Lytvyn, Head of the State Enterprise “Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority”.
At the “Infrastructure Day 2023” organized by the European Business Association in Kyiv on Friday, he recalled that in 10 months of 2021, cargo turnover in the Danube ports amounted to only 4.4 million tons.
According to Lytvyn, the number of vessels handled in Danube ports in 10 months of this year increased by 54.3% compared to 10 months of last year – from 7,780 thousand to 12,005 thousand, while in 10 months of 2021 there were 2,897 thousand.
The Head of USPA clarified that out of 40 million tons of cargo for 10 months of this year and last year, 18.3 million tons were grain cargo, 3.6 million tons – ore, 3.2 million tons – vegetable oil, 2.6 million tons – oil products and 12.4 million tons – other cargo.
The Infrastructure Day also noted that the Ukrainian corridor under the control of the Ukrainian Navy to the Black Sea ports of Greater Odesa (Odesa, Chornomorsk, Pivdennyi), which was fully operational in August-September, exported 1.994 million tons in October, and 1.591 million tons since the beginning of November, compared to 0.278 million tons in September and only 0.06 million tons in August.
Ukraine will officially lead the European Union’s strategy for the Danube region for 2022 on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
“Today, Ukraine will officially lead the EU strategy for the Danube region for next year. In Bratislava, a ceremony will take place for the transfer of chairmanship from Slovakia to Ukraine, which will be represented by a delegation led by Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development, National Coordinator of the Danube Strategy Ihor Korkhov,” said Kuleba at an online briefing on Wednesday.
He stressed that Ukraine will become the first state, which, not being an EU member, will coordinate the activities of 14 countries of the Danube River Basin and the implementation of EU strategic initiatives in the region.
“Ukraine will take part in the formation of the EU regional policy at the level of the EU member states. Together with Ukraine’s chairmanship in the Danube Commission, this testifies to the establishment of our state as a European player in Central Europe,” the Foreign Minister said.
The minister added that an important and responsible mission of Ukraine will begin on Wednesday, October 27, and will last until the end of 2022. “The foreign policy strategy of Ukraine approves our state as an active participant in international politics. We no longer expect to be invited somewhere, we take the initiative, especially in our own region, where we are implementing an ambitious foreign policy and developing neighborhoods,” explained Kuleba.
