European Border Assistance Mission to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM), together with the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova, organized the second International Trade Facilitation Forum, “Supporting Ukrainian exports through Solidarity Lanes”, in Chisinau on October 12.

The second Forum brought together high-level speakers from the European Commission, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. The central focus of this event was to explore innovative solutions and create alternative routes for exporting agricultural products and essential goods to support Ukraine through EU-UA Solidarity Lanes. Between May 2022 and August 2023, this initiative facilitated the export of over 53 million tons of agricultural products from Ukraine, underscoring the critical importance of these routes.

Key discussions during the Forum focused on finding solutions for the impact of the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the challenges posed by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s Danube and Black Sea ports. Participants also addressed measures to harness the untapped logistics potential and optimize existing infrastructure and equipment to enhance transport corridor capacity. Diversifying the range of available routes was another vital point of discussion.

According to the Head of EUBAM, Slawomir Pichor, the Forum participants are determined to seek innovative solutions to further facilitate agricultural exports from Ukraine via all feasible transport corridors: “EUBAM is here actively providing its support, including through initiatives like the MD-RO-UA Regional Customs Coordination Group. This group has consistently facilitated the flow of cargo through transport corridors in the lower Danube region, addressing challenges and generating proposals for improvements to streamline the entry of goods between Ukraine and the European Union.”