Ukraine and Romania discussed cooperation in the field of maritime security

The Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine held a meeting with a delegation from Romania.

As reported by the department, the parties discussed the issue of strengthening cooperation in the field of maritime security, in particular within the framework of the creation of the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub – an EU initiative aimed at improving the safety of maritime routes, protecting critical infrastructure and developing regional cooperation in the Black Sea region.

The Romanian representatives noted the importance of Ukraine’s involvement in the hub’s work, taking into account the experience gained in ensuring the safety of maritime routes during the war. They invited Ukraine to delegate experts to participate in joint exercises and expressed their belief that this would be useful for Ukraine, Romania, and the entire European Union.

Separately, the parties discussed navigation on the Danube and the possibilities of supporting and protecting the region.

“We understand the strategic importance of developing navigation on the Danube. We are working to ensure maximum traffic safety and protect our people in ports and at sea. Our goal is to make Ukrainian ports safe and reliable, even in wartime. And the recent attacks on port and urban infrastructure on the Danube once again confirm how important it is to strengthen cooperation with partners in the field of maritime security,” emphasized Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Andriy Kashuba.

The parties also discussed the issue of strengthening the engineering protection of critical port infrastructure facilities, as well as strengthening air defense.

Special attention during the meeting was paid to the issue of consolidating international support for Ukraine within the framework of the activities of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Andriy Kashuba emphasized the importance of a common position during the vote for members of the organization’s Council, which will take place at the end of November. The Ukrainian side called on the partners to prevent Russia from returning to category A of this governing body, because a state that violates the norms of international maritime law and commits crimes at sea cannot have high representation in the international maritime institution designed to ensure the safety of shipping in the world.

USM previously reported that the World Bank and EBRD project involves the restoration of ports on the Danube.