Last week, the first Ukraine-EU Transport Dialogue between Volodymyr Omelyan, the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine and Henrik Hololei, Director-General of European Commission for Mobility and Transport took place in Kyiv at the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine.

Slavomir Novak, the head of "Ukravtodor", Yevheniy Kravtsov, the head of "Ukrzaliznytsya", Raivis Veckagans, acting head of the USPA, Oleksandra Klitina, the head of the Reform Support Office at the Ministry of Infrastructure and others also attended the meeting.

"Ukraine became the first country among the Eastern Partnership states with which the European Union starts the Transport Dialogue. I would like to congratulate our colleagues, whose delegation came from Brussels to discuss a number of infrastructure initiatives that are already being implemented: the construction of GO Highway, construction of high-speed rail, cooperation in the maritime field. We also discussed projects we are planning to implement with the support of our European partners: road safety, digital infrastructure, Hyperloop. I am sincerely grateful for the dialogue and conversation we have had today. It was an honest conversation between friends and partners about common goals. Our key question is Transport Strategy of Ukraine 2030. It is ready, and we are waiting for its approval by the Government," the Minister of Infrastructure said.

Much of attention during the meeting was paid to the necessity of adoption and implementation of the European legislation.

"There are about ten draft laws in the Parliament for which transport sector has been waiting for decades. Thus, for ten years there has been delayed the reform of the railways, for 25 years – a reform of inland waterways and there are many other reforms that need to be adopted by the Parliament. We only need those be voted for. I hope that in the first half of this year our draft laws will be adopted. It is not the European Union but us who need those bills! Hence, this is our reform, our quality of life, our quality of transport," the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine emphasized.

"We see Ukraine as a hub between Europe and Asia. We believe that things we create today will provide a new quality of life for Ukrainians. It also relates to the digital transport corridors, road safety and the common aviation area. The common date for us when the Common Aviation Area Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union shall enter into force is the next year. A separate issue is digital security and cyberattack protection. I believe that together with the European specialists we will achieve a great result, and Ukraine will be reliably protected not only by our soldiers, but also by a cyber shield from external threats," the Minister added.