The interim government accelerates strategic connectivity projects in Eastern Europe. In the meeting on Thursday, May 28, the Executive adopted two memoranda that pave the way for major agreements with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The new documents aim at the development, modernization and administration of essential transport infrastructures for the Tărășeni – Siret – Moțca – Ungheni – Berești corridor, considered a priority for regional security and mobility in the context of the European SAFE Instrument.
Romania-Ukraine strategic agreement for transport infrastructure
One of the adopted memoranda concerns the negotiation and signing of an agreement with Ukraine regarding the construction, modernization and maintenance of transport infrastructures of strategic interest between Pașcani (Romania) and Tarașeni (Ukraine). The document is necessary for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2025/1106, which establishes the Instrument “Action for the Security of Europe” (SAFE), intended for investments in critical infrastructures.
According to the Government, the targeted projects are part of the strategic corridor Tărășeni – Siret – Moțca – Ungheni – Berești, considered a priority axis of connectivity between the European Union and its eastern partners. The agreement will create the legal framework necessary for the coordinated implementation of some major investments, such as the Pașcani – Suceava highway, the Suceava – Siret Expressway, the modernization of the infrastructure in the area of the Siret-Porubne border point, as well as the modernization of the M19 section on the territory of Ukraine.
The document establishes the responsibilities of the two states regarding the financing, design, execution and administration of strategic infrastructures, including the possibility for Romania to carry out works on the territory of Ukraine. The agreement also provides for the establishment of a Joint Commission that will coordinate the implementation of the projects, supervise the technical and financial audit and ensure the interoperability of the infrastructure, with the support of the European funds available through the SAFE Instrument.
Memorandum regarding the development and management of transport infrastructures of strategic interest with the Republic of Moldova
In the same meeting, the Government also approved a memorandum on the negotiation and signing of an agreement with the Republic of Moldova for the development and management of transport infrastructures of strategic interest, including the Ungheni-Ungheni border road bridge.
The executive specifies that the document is necessary for the implementation of investments in the same strategic corridor Tărășeni – Siret – Moțca – Ungheni – Berești, in the context of the application of the SAFE Instrument. The new agreement will establish the legal, financial and institutional framework for cooperation between the two states, as well as the mechanisms for coordination and implementation of joint projects.
The memorandum updates the existing framework and provides for the termination of the validity of the agreement signed in 2022 regarding the Ungheni-Ungheni bridge, replacing it with a document adapted to the new regional connectivity objectives and European requirements.
