Porto-Franco City

The Ukrainian government is partnering with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to enhance maritime safety in the region. Vice Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba met with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez to discuss key cooperation initiatives.

This marked Arsenio Dominguez's first visit to Ukraine.

Other officials attending included First Deputy Minister Alona Shkrum and Deputy Minister Andriy Kashuba.

Kuleba emphasized the importance of ensuring maritime transport security, highlighting the need to protect ports, which is critical for economic stability and global food security. Since the launch of the Ukrainian maritime corridor, over 109 million tons of cargo have been transported, including 70 million tons of grain.

Kuleba also stressed the need to apply pressure on the Russian tanker fleet, which continues to transport oil despite sanctions.

He expressed gratitude to the IMO for its ongoing support of Ukraine and hopes for continued collaboration to ensure safe navigation.

Alona Shkrum outlined the losses incurred by the maritime sector due to the war, including 385 destroyed port infrastructure objects.

She emphasized that a strong position from the IMO will help protect Ukrainian ports more effectively in the future.

The Secretary-General assured the Ukrainian team of active cooperation and support. The parties agreed to maintain contact and invite the Secretary-General to the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome in 2025.

A key part of Ukraine's strategy is to adhere to international obligations under IMO conventions and plan accession to other international agreements.

The parties also discussed the Plan for the Recovery of Maritime Transport, which includes a budget of 550 million euros for the development of Ukraine's maritime sector.

Note: The IMO is the primary international organization regulating maritime shipping and has supported Ukraine since the onset of the war, making crucial decisions to protect the country's interests.