May 1, 2018, in the framework of a working visit to Mariupol, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Volodymyr Omelyan inspected the work of the Mariupol Sea Commercial Port, spoke with the management of the company about the prospects for the development of the Port, and held a meeting with the personnel.

The Minister of Infrastructure stressed that the development of the infrastructure of Mariupol is an integral part of national security. "Mariupol is a front-line, very special city for the country. Therefore, as the State, we must do as much as we can for this city. It is crucial to load the Port with work and preserve jobs. Its activities must be expanded and decent wages paid. Those are the tasks that we set as the Ministry", Volodymyr Omelyan stated.

Moreover, the Minister highlighted that it is necessary to pay close attention to the social objects of the Port of Mariupol and to provide overall support to the employees for them to feel protected. But at the same time it is vital to think about the future of the Port.

"The Port of Mariupol is the gateway to Donbas and Eastern Ukraine. The effective work of the Port entails the productive work of a large number of enterprises in our eastern regions. Therefore, it is very important to continue a policy of diversification of freight flows and attracting investors, developing new models of public-private partnership, in particular, concessions. The Port and the city of Mariupol should become the points of economic revival of the Ukrainian Donbas", stressed Volodymyr Omelyan.

Olexandr Oliynyk, director of the Mariupol Sea Commercial Port, noted he was seeing the development of the Port in the investment projects and thanked the Ministry of Infrastructure for all possible support for the implementation of the project on building a new grain terminal in the Port.

Separately, the Minister of Infrastructure emphasized the need to restore motorways connecting Mariupol with other cities of Ukraine: "Road repairs appear task number one for the Government, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and local authorities. Comfortable and fast communication of Mariupol with other cities of Ukraine is the issue of national security."