The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the government of Georgia have signed an agreement on establishment of a direct international railway link through the ports of the two countries. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure, the signing ceremony took place during an international maritime forum in Batumi on Tuesday, 13 September.
Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelian described the agreement as a very important document "that connects Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan on the Silk Road."
According to him, the parties are working to simplify and reduce the cost of logistics, as well as to increase the speed of delivery.
"Now, the market demands are such that the speed of delivery of goods is no less important than the delivery price. More and more companies are willing to bear additional costs to ensure that goods are delivered not in 2-3 months but in 9-15 days. This year, should bring the speed of passage of containers from China to the western borders of Ukraine to 9-10 days," Omelian said after signing the document.
He noted that negotiations on introduction of through tariffs on the Trans-Caspian route and simplification of customs procedures are currently underway.
