Ukraine will cooperate with the major railway operator of Germany, says Oleksiy Honcharuk

Today in Davos, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine has signed a Memorandum of understanding with Germany's largest railway operator Deutsche Bahn.

Oleksiy Honcharuk stressed that this alliance is the follow-up of the Ukrzaliznytsia’s Restructuring Plan, announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in September 2019.

"I assure you that applying the experience of the most successful European railway company will allow us to increase the efficiency and quality of rail transport in Ukraine. I want to refute all the rumors at once – a sale or lease of such a strategically important state-owned enterprise as Ukrzaliznytsia is off the table," the Prime Minister said.

He added that following the meeting with the Deutsche Bahn leadership the previous week, they had come to an understanding regarding the cooperation format: Ukraine fully retains control over the Ukrainian Railways. German experts will work on reforming the management mechanisms at the enterprise.

"I expect that German operational efficiency and zero tolerance to corruption will be the basis for changing the situation within Ukrzaliznytsia," said Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk.

Further details will be disclosed in early February during the ceremony of signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Ukrzaliznytsia and Deutsche Bahn in Kyiv.