Romania approved the plan to buy the Moldovan port of Giurgiulesti

Romania plans to acquire the port of Giurgiulesti through its national company Seaports Administration, which is owned by the Ministry of Transport.

This is part of a strategic plan aimed at strengthening Romania’s influence in the region. In particular, the port plays a critical role in shipping and trade on the Black Sea, writes Maritime Executive.

We will remind you that Romania started negotiations on the acquisition of the port of Giurgiulesti last year.

“Romania plans to acquire the port of Giurgiulesti through its national company Sea Ports Administration, which is owned by the Ministry of Transport. The process involves the acquisition by Romania of shares of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the Danube Logistics company, which is the operator of the Giurgiulesti International Free Port,” the message reads.

It is important to emphasize that there are two port infrastructure facilities in Giurgiulesti. That is, negotiations are underway for the Giurgiulesti International Free Port (PILG), which is controlled by the EBRD under the terms of a 99-year lease starting in 2021. The state port of Giurgiulesti, which belongs to Moldova, does not participate in the negotiations.

Last year, the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said that the port needed investment, noting that it became strategically important after the start of the war in Ukraine.

In the memorandum for the purchase of the port of Giurgiulesti, the Romanian government said it was interested in the terminal in view of the competition between the port of Constanta and other ports in the Black Sea basin.

Romania also plans to consolidate the cargo flow and make the port of Constanţa one of the main transport hubs in Eastern Europe.

Reference.

Giurgiulesti is the only landlocked port in Moldova. Located at the confluence of the Prut and Danube rivers, approximately 83 miles from the Black Sea. Both river and sea vessels can reach the port. The port is equipped with a terminal for storage and transshipment of oil products.

The port of Giurgiulesti began to play a vital role in shipping grain and fuel to and from Ukraine after Russia began blockading Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea. A quadrilateral agreement was concluded between the ports of Reni in Ukraine, Giurgiulesti in Moldova, and Galati and Constanta in Romania.