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The parties agreed to draw up a relevant draft protocol by the end of October 2018 to amend the existing bilateral agreement.
Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry says Ukraine and Turkey have agreed to lift restrictions on bilateral and transit freight transport by road from 2019.
"The most important achievement is agreement to use a permission-free system for bilateral and transit freight traffic between Ukraine and Turkey. The parties agreed to draw up a relevant draft protocol by the end of October 2018 to amend the existing bilateral agreement, as well as make every effort to sign it in 2019," the ministry's press service said in a statement following a meeting of the Ukrainian-Turkish mixed commission on international road transport held in Ankara on October 3-4.
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It is also noted that by the time of signing and entry into force of the relevant changes to the agreement, the parties will start exchanging additional permits starting from 2019 for unlimited number of bilateral shipments to meet local carriers' needs.
"In 2018, the Ukrainian side will additionally receive the following number of permits: 1,000 for bilateral shipments; 1,000 for entry of empty vehicles; 500 to/from third countries. The parties also agreed on a preliminary quota of permits for international freight road transport in 2019: 7,000 for bilateral shipments; 4,000 for transit operations; 10,000 for category "U" transit; 2,500 to/from third countries; and 5,000 for entry of empty vehicles," the press service added.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers reinstated the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Transport Safety (Ukrtransbezpeka), Mykhailo Nonyak, who had been suspended from work for the period of an investigation on charges of corruption.
In March 2018, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan asked the government to dismiss Nonyak due to the non-transparent work of the service.
In particular, on April 6, officers of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine detained an Ukrtransbezpeka official, who demanded a US$38,000 bribe from an entrepreneur for issuing permits for international freight traffic, citing the "lack of" appropriate forms. It is noted that the official received from $100 to $500 for each document, while the official cost of the form was UAH 49 ($1.74).