THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ASKS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECT INITIATED IN KHERSON

09.03.2020

The European Parliament drew attention to the geopolitical importance of the project initiated in Kherson.

In December (18-19) last 2019, a regular meeting of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee took place in Strasbourg; it is through this Committee that the cooperation between the European Parliament and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is built. The members of the European Parliament and the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine forming part of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee considered issues related to the processes of European integration, relations between the European Union and Ukraine, security in the region and the implementation of reforms. The preparation of information and draft issues to be considered by the Committee is carried out both within the walls of the European Parliament and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

It is from the walls of the European Parliament that information about the project on establishing a corridor for effective cooperation from the Baltic to the eastern Caspian shores was sent to the members of the European Parliament and the people’s deputies of Ukraine forming part of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee.

This project is positioned as geopolitically important and considered as a real mechanism for ensuring the economic security belt. The proposed model provides a wider and more multifaceted field of cooperation based on the partner network, which is at the final stage of formation and provides multimodal movement of goods.

The provided information document, in particular, states that “The basic foundation is the formation of stable, diverse horizontal ties (in various areas: from education, science, culture and sports to services, trade and joint production) to create a zone of stable cooperation and a zone of stimulation of economic partnership and trade along the route of the "corridor of effective cooperation". It minimizes business risks. At the final stage of formation there is a partner network consisting of seaports and freight forwarding companies that enables the efficient movement of goods from the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea (project partners - the seaports of Kuryk (Kazakhstan) and Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan) to the Baltic Sea coast (project partners - seaports of Gdynia (Poland) and Klaipeda (Lithuania)). To coordinate the actions of participants in the process of moving goods on multimodal routes from the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea to the Baltic (with the prospect of expanding the geography), the project participants created the united international logistics center Global Multimodal Logistics.

The project itself was initiated by the Lithuanian-Ukrainian team of the Baltic-Black Sea Economic Forum, and therefore one of its birthplaces can rightly be considered the city of Kherson. In addition, the presented document reads verbatim: “The basic, formed European “triangle” of the project includes Lithuania (in particular Klaipeda), Poland (in particular Gdynia and Pomeranian Voivodeship) and Ukraine (in particular Kherson Region and Kherson bordering with the occupied Crimea). The process of Bulgaria’s joining the project has started, the local participant of the project is the representatives of Romania".

The correspondent of the Kherson news agency Khersontsi sought additional information from Deputy Chairman of the Board of Baltic-Black Sea Economic Forum Volodymyr Makukha, and here is what he said:

“The idea of ​​this project was born a couple of years ago, and while its founders are representatives of the Lithuanian-Ukrainian team of our forum, the project itself is the result of joint work of our cohesive international partners’ team, which includes representatives of Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Belarus. The implementation of this project involves addressing a wider range of issues and should become the foundation for strengthening and developing multilateral cooperation between cities, regions and states. On behalf of our entire team, I can say that we are truly grateful for the attention and support we receive from many countries both in Europe and Asia. We sincerely thank the European Parliament representatives for the preliminary high estimates of importance and for their support. At the end of last year, we received and supported a proposal from the coordinator of the European Parliament to develop a transport strategy for the Baltic Sea, to jointly coordinate our actions, to hold mutual consultations, to unite efforts in developing this area. At the end of June this year, this time in Kherson, the regular Baltic-Black Sea Economic Forum to be held, which will be attended by representatives of all project partners from Lithuania, Poland, Georgia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Romania, Bulgaria and Belarus in order to jointly discuss and coordinate further actions both on the project "Corridor of Effective Cooperation" as a whole and on its individual segments, such as international cooperation in higher education, for example.”

And in conclusion we’d like to supplement Volodymyr Makukha’s words with a few more points from the above-mentioned information document sent from the walls of the European Parliament to the people's deputies of Ukraine and members of the European Parliament:

“The project’s methodology and partnership component ensure overcoming the corruption component in its realization on the territory of Ukraine and stimulate the implementation of European standards of international cooperation by project participants from Ukraine, Georgia and Asia."

"The team of partners (of the project - Ed.) combines science and practice. The team is ready and able to effectively implement the most ambitious international projects based on the best practices of the partner network, from the Baltic ports, freight forwarding and stevedoring companies of Gdynia (Poland) and Klaipeda (Lithuania) to modern ports and leaders in freight forwarding Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea, actively developing cooperation between maritime academies, universities and the transport research institutes of Lithuania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Belarus and Georgia."

So, as they say – happy trails!