Ukraine and Estonia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen cooperation in the transport sector. The signing took place during a meeting between Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction, Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba, and Estonia's Minister of Infrastructure, Vladimir Svet, in Odessa.
The Memorandum outlines key areas of cooperation in the restoration of Ukraine’s maritime sector, including:
- Creation of a joint Ukrainian-Estonian working group to coordinate efforts.
- Involvement of international partners for funding and project implementation.
- Development of technical and economic justifications for digitalization and modernization of information systems, including ship registers and databases.
- Advancement of ecological and security technologies, particularly through innovative solutions offered by Estonia.
Vice Prime Minister Kuleba expressed, “Together with my Estonian colleague, we discussed the restoration of port infrastructure, which is critical for the stable operation of enterprises, cargo handling, and the continued implementation of the Ukrainian corridor. We also explored mechanisms for protecting port facilities under the current wartime conditions. We will continue strengthening our partnership in other transport areas—railway, road, and international cooperation under the International Transport Forum. I am confident that, through our joint efforts, we will achieve significant results in rebuilding our infrastructure and ensuring its stable development. I thank Minister Svet, the Estonian Government, and the entire Estonian people for their unwavering support, belief in Ukraine, and readiness to help.”
As part of the visit, Kuleba and Svet toured the Odessa port, which was damaged by enemy shelling. The port handled over 18 million tons of cargo in 2024. In total, over 97 million tons of cargo have been transshipped within the Ukrainian Grain Corridor. According to Kuleba, this is a significant achievement for global food security.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has launched 64 attacks on port infrastructure in Odessa region, damaging and partially destroying 325 facilities. As a result of these attacks, 89 civilians have been injured.
