Danube and cross-border bridges: Romania and Moldova prepare infrastructure for predictable freight and passenger transport

The Republic of Moldova and Romania are working together to transform the Danube into a predictable freight transport route and to develop border infrastructure to support trade flows and passenger transport, stated Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, and Irinel Ionel Scrioșteanu, State Secretary within Romania’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, during a TVR program.

“Romania and Bulgaria are currently working on a project to deepen and modernize the Danube in order to resume economic and commercial traffic to European Union countries. Whenever we discuss the ports of Brăila, Galați, or Giurgiulești, we must understand that these are our ports, that they support the activities of Moldovan economic operators and their integration into European shipping routes. The Port of Giurgiulești is our gateway to the Black Sea, through which fruits, grains, containers, and other products are exported at much lower costs than by road transport. This means clear economic advantages for the Republic of Moldova,” said Vladimir Bolea.

The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the major economic impact of port development: “Once the riverbed is regulated and the infrastructure modernized, the Danube will be navigable for approximately 340 days a year, which will enable its inclusion in major international freight transport contracts. Thus, river transport will become competitive and cheaper, supporting farmers and exporters in both Moldova and Romania.” Bolea also noted that developing ports and navigation on the Danube is a strategic priority for strengthening the Republic of Moldova’s economic and trade ties with the European Union.

State Secretary Irinel Ionel Scrioșteanu emphasized the coordination of investments at border crossing points, including in the construction of new bridges. “Romania and the Republic of Moldova will have predictability in this area and will invest in a mirror-like manner at border crossings to ensure efficient traffic flows. The four new bridges, together with the one at Ungheni, will be opened to traffic as soon as possible, under coordinated control in line with the strategic document that will be approved by both governments. The aim is to facilitate, to the greatest extent possible, the flow of freight and passengers between Romania and the Republic of Moldova,” Scrioșteanu concluded.

Romania is very close to taking over operational control of the Giurgiulești Free International Port (PILG), a strategic logistics hub of the Republic of Moldova located at the confluence of the Prut and Danube rivers, about 134 km from the Black Sea. The port is Moldova’s only access to navigable waters and offers facilities for river and sea vessels with a draft of up to 7 m, with terminals for grain, oil, and general cargo.

The decision to allow the takeover of the port operator had previously been approved by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova. The Council for the Examination of Investments of Importance for State Security endorsed the request of the National Company “Maritime Ports Administration” Constanța (CNAMP) to purchase 100% of the shares in Danube Logistics SRL, the private company that operates the port and is currently owned by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The acquisition concerns only the private operator of the port and not the land or the state-owned port of the Republic of Moldova. After the transfer agreement is signed, Danube Logistics Ltd will come under Romanian control, and CNAMP will invest in the modernization of the port infrastructure, planning the construction of terminals for ramps and containers, the modernization of the railway, the expansion of warehouses, the digitalization of operations, and the implementation of solutions for energy efficiency and green transition.