Oleksii Kuleba addressed the participants of the International Transport Forum
Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities and Territories Development, addressed the participants of the International Transport Forum (ITF) during the Annual Summit in Leipzig.
For the fourth year in a row, as part of the world's largest Transport Ministerial Meeting, a special meeting at the level of ministers of the ITF member states is being held to discuss the restoration of Ukraine's transport sector.
Among those present are the transport ministers of Germany, France, Sweden, Iceland, Ireland, Austria, Czech Republic, Chile, Finland, South Korea, Lithuania, Slovenia, Belgium, and deputy ministers of Poland, the Netherlands, Japan, Norway, Slovakia, and Turkey. In total, there are representatives of more than 30 countries and organizations.
"Our transportation system is facing huge challenges due to the war against Ukraine. The long-term needs for transport restoration already amount to USD 77 billion, and this figure is growing daily. At the same time, thanks to the support of international partners and solidarity with Ukraine, we can restore, adapt to new realities and ensure the integration of the transport system into the EU. I am grateful to every country that has joined this important meeting on the restoration of Ukraine's transport system - it is extremely valuable for us. However, our goal is to hold the next meeting in the format of a presentation of the results of our cooperation and practical results," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.
In his address, Oleksii Kuleba emphasized that the transportation sector had already suffered losses of more than USD 6 billion. However, despite the losses, Ukraine has significant achievements in the sector that are important not only for our country but also for the world.
In particular, we are talking about the work of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, which allows us to ensure global food security, the “transport visa-free regime” between Ukraine and the EU, which helps to increase exports and imports by road between the parties, and the integration of our railway network into the European Union.
In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out the development of the Danube region, the restoration of key roads and bridges, and the construction of checkpoints.
The cost of currently active projects to restore transport and infrastructure, which are being implemented with the support of international financial institutions, exceeds USD 1 billion.
The International Transport Forum is an international intergovernmental organization with 69 member countries. It is the only global organization covering all modes of transport. The ITF's mission is to promote economic growth through the transport sector.