Prime Minister of Ukraine: We expect active participation of Romanian businessmen in Ukraine’s recovery / We will expand border crossings and build new ones

Ukraine is maintaining its „strategic course” of integration into the EU and NATO, Prime Minister Denis Shmihal said in Bucharest on Friday, thanking Romania for its support, Agerpres reported. He added that Romania has been the country that has been extending a helping hand to Ukraine since the early days of the war.

„Ukraine’s strategic course of integration into the EU and NATO remains unchanged. We thank our Romanian partners for their support. We hope that Romania will support the adoption of the decision to start negotiations on Ukraine’s pre-accession to the European Union, about which the Prime Minister (Marcel Ciolacu) spoke. We also expect the active participation of Romanian businessmen in the recovery of Ukraine. We are convinced that we will find mutually beneficial projects,” Shmihal said at the Victoria Palace during joint press statements with Prime Minister Ciolacu.

Denis Șmîhal said he had „constructive” talks with Marcel Ciolacu, while recalling that several documents had been signed: a declaration on ensuring the transit of Ukrainian goods, an agreement on the mutual recognition of educational documents, and an agreement on opening a new border crossing point.

„We discussed improving the transport infrastructure destroyed by Russia, we will develop border infrastructure, roads, railways. We will expand border crossings and build new ones. We will simplify border control at the crossing points and, where possible, we will have joint control to simplify the transit of goods. We will facilitate the transport of Ukrainian production to Romanian ports. We will strengthen cooperation in the Danube region by using the existing port infrastructure, as well as by investing in the development of this infrastructure. At present, Romania ranks third for Ukraine in terms of facilitating transit from Ukraine,” explained the head of the government in Kyiv.

The new Sighetu Marmației – Bila Tserkva border crossing point will operate on a permanent basis for the transit of goods and passengers. Under the agreement on mutual recognition of educational documents, graduates will be able to work in the neighboring country.

Prime Minister Shmihal expressed his appreciation for Romania’s „constructive” position on the transit of Ukrainian grain. He also thanked Romania for its warm welcome to the more than 125,000 Ukrainians who had fled to Romania because of the war.

„Thank you for the very clear position condemning Russian aggression and Russian terrorism and all crimes committed by Russia. Thank you for supporting sanctions against the aggressor. Thank you for supporting President Volodimir Zelenski’s peace formula and for the agreement to train Ukrainian pilots and create a special center on Romanian territory. Other Ukrainian servicemen are also being trained in Romania and we thank them for this. (…) I am convinced that in the near future, our arrangements will have positive and practical consequences. I am convinced that together we will make peace and security, rebuild Ukraine and develop our relations for the good of the Ukrainian and Romanian peoples in a united Europe”, the Ukrainian Prime Minister added.