Ukraine, Italy to develop high-speed rail lines – infrastructure ministry

Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry says it is considering cooperation with Italy to develop high-speed rail traffic in the country; in particular, this refers to the construction of a railroad linking the Ukrainian cities of Odesa, Kyiv, and Lviv with the European Union border.

Read alsoWorld Bank to lend US$65 mln for road repairs in Ukraine's Luhansk regionThat is according to a statement by the ministry's press service published on November 4, following a meeting between Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii and Italian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine Davide La Cecilia.

"Vladyslav Kryklii commended the bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Italy in the transport sector and stressed that the Ukrainian side is interested in implementing a project related to high-speed rail traffic in Ukraine," the press service said.

"The minister welcomed Italian businesses' interest in cooperation under the project, in particular the development of a feasibility study to build the Odesa-Kyiv-Lviv-EU border high-speed rail line of 4,569 km long," it added.

Kryklii says the involvement of leading Italian companies in such a large-scale project in Ukraine will help expand economic relations between the two countries.

The minister also invited Italian businesses to take part in public-private partnership projects related to the maritime and railway industries.

Background:

Kryklii earlier said that Ukraine was interested in cooperation with South Korea's Hyundai Corporation on the development of a high-speed rail line.