ROMANIA AND MOLDOVA SIGN AGREEEMENT TO ENHANCE SOLIDARITY LANES
On 20 November, Romania and Moldova signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Bucharest to implement coordinated border checks at the Galați-Giurgiulești crossing. This initiative aims to facilitate the transit of goods along the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, which have become a crucial economic lifeline for Ukraine.
The agreement will streamline customs procedures for goods moving from Moldova to Romania, reducing bottlenecks at the border and improving traffic flows from both Moldova and Ukraine. The European Commission has been actively supporting efforts to enhance this key border crossing, located on the Solidarity Lanes' Danube Corridor, the busiest transport route linking Ukraine and the EU.
Since May 2022, the total trade value of the Solidarity Lanes is estimated at around EUR 192 billion, facilitating the export of approximately 162 million tonnes (Mt) of goods from Ukraine, according to data from Ukrainian customs registers. These lanes have also enabled Ukraine to import 64 Mt of goods, including fuel, vehicles, fertilisers, as well as military and humanitarian assistance.
Source: European Commission