photo: Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic/Connecting Europe Days in Lyon: Martin Kupka, Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic, met with Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov. What development direction are the countries planning to take?
The expansion of the pan-European TEN-T transport networks, electric mobility, or high-speed lines. Martin Kupka, Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic, discussed all these topics at the Connecting Europe Days event in Lyon, France. On the sidelines of the joint program, the minister also met with Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov. They discussed ways to improve transport connections between Ukraine and EU countries.
"In the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union faces new challenges, including in the transportation area. It is the question of how to increase the resilience and resistance of Europe's traffic flows that I discussed today with experts from across Europe in Lyon, France. The upcoming Czech Presidency will play a crucial role in this task because one of our main tasks will be to adjust the scale of the TEN-T rapid transit system, which is still in operation. It was also the last major transportation event before our presidency, which begins Friday, July 1," said Martin Kupka, Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic.
Minister Kupka discussed with Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov mainly the current situation caused by Russian aggression. Both ministers agreed that to support the Ukrainian economy now it is necessary to ensure the transportation of goods, especially agricultural products, between Ukraine and the countries of the European Union as quickly as possible. Therefore, so-called "solidarity lanes" should be created between Ukraine and the EU to facilitate the export of mainly agricultural products from Ukraine. Where possible, it is necessary to switch from maritime and, to some extent, railway transport to road transport.
"Russia continues to blockade ports in the Black Sea, which are key for the agricultural products export. Whole Europe must now step up and look for other ways to export grain and seeds from Ukraine by road and rail. The Czech Republic is actively working on this, with the freight carrier ČD Cargo dispatching 13 trains of agricultural goods from Ukraine to seaports in Germany every week," said Martin Kupka after the meeting. At the end of the joint meeting, the Czech Minister of Transport also invited Oleksandr Kubrakov to the informal Council of Transport Ministers, which Prague will host in October as part of the Czech Presidency.
It is also necessary to focus on improving transport links between the EU-27 and Ukraine via the TEN-T networks. The development of standard gauge rail lines from the EU to Ukraine, Moldova, and other neighboring EU countries is of key importance. To improve connectivity between Ukraine and Moldova, an agreement was signed at the Connecting Europe Days event. It will allow Moldovan and Ukrainian road freight operators access to the EU market and vice versa.
Martin Kupka also took part in a meeting in Lyon on the relationship between transport and energy. They discussed the development of electric mobility and other alternative fuels, charging stations, the production, storage, and transportation of hydrogen, as well as reducing energy consumption. They also touched on the electrification of the rail network and the expansion of cooperation between transport and energy.
The Czech Minister of Transport also spoke with his colleagues about the priorities of the upcoming Czech EU Presidency in the field of transport. These include improving connectivity and development of the European transport network, support for high-speed rail, and green mobility. The Czech Republic will also focus on autonomous transport or support for space activities. The minister invited his colleagues to events to be held during the Czech presidency. These include an informal meeting of the Transport Council in Prague (October 20-21), the Urban Mobility Days in Brno (September 20-22), and the European Space Week (October 2-6), which will focus on current and future trends in the European space program.
Source: Press releases of the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic