Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine Andriy Kashuba, together with a delegation from the Ministry of Development, took part in the professional exchange programme “Strengthening Port Management Systems,” held in the United States with support from the U.S. Department of State. The programme covered five states and included official visits in Washington, as well as to the ports and other institutions of Baltimore, Jacksonville, Tulsa, and Los Angeles.
The Ukrainian delegation studied the American experience in building and operating a state system for managing maritime and river sectors, ports, infrastructure security, innovative logistics, and attracting investments through public-private partnership mechanisms.
“Maritime and river infrastructure is not just logistics. It is the foundation of economic resilience and an element of national security. The U.S. demonstrates an effective model where the state maintains control over strategic critical infrastructure assets of the sector, while investors are engaged through transparent concession mechanisms. This fully aligns with our course. Ukraine is already moving along this path, and the concession project for the Port of Chornomorsk confirms this,” said Andriy Kashuba.
Washington was the starting point of the programme. Here, key meetings were held with representatives of the U.S. Department of State, discussing port infrastructure development as a component of national security, supply chain protection, and support for open international trade. At the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Ukrainian delegation learned about innovative approaches to intermodal logistics, the work of Centers of Excellence in shipping, and technological solutions for modernizing maritime transport.
Special attention was given to the topic of decentralization — at Georgetown University, participants studied how the U.S. federal management system distributes responsibility for critical infrastructure among different levels of government.
The next stage was Baltimore, where the Ukrainian delegation visited the Seagirt Marine Terminal — one of the most powerful logistics hubs on the U.S. East Coast. There, they familiarized themselves with crisis response practices, resilience planning, and modernization of port infrastructure under conditions of heavy load and geopolitical risks.
During the meetings, Andriy Kashuba also presented to American partners the Ukrainian-Estonian plan for the restoration of the port sector. This strategic document envisions not only the restoration of damaged infrastructure but also a deep transformation of the management system with an emphasis on transparency, efficiency, and partnership.
“We are grateful to the U.S. government, our partners, and the programme organizers for the meaningful meetings and open dialogue. The experience we gained will be the foundation for quality changes in the Ukrainian port sector. We are working to ensure that our ports are not only restored but become examples of modern, effective, and safe management. This is exactly what the plan we developed jointly with Estonia is aimed at,” Andriy Kashuba concluded.
The insights and best practices acquired during the visit will be used by the Ministry of Development team to improve state policy in the field of port management
