The Romanian government is starting negotiations for the purchase of the strategic Giurgiuleşti port in the Republic of Moldova.
The Executive will form a team to initiate negotiations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the acquisition by the Romanian state, through the National Company „Administration of Maritime Ports” S.A. Constanţa, of the entire shares held by EBRD, through Danube Logistics SRL, at the Giurgiuleşti International Free Port in the Republic of Moldova, according to documents analyzed by Profit.ro.
The Giurgiuleşti port is the only port in the Republic of Moldova accessible to maritime vessels, located at km 133.8 of the Danube River, in the south of the country, bordered by Romania and Ukraine.
Danube Logistics SRL is wholly owned by the Dutch company Danube Logistics Holding BV. The ultimate beneficial owner of the Danube Logistics group of companies is EBRD.
The negotiation team proposed now for the acquisition of the Moldovan port by the Romanian state will be led by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Transport, Bogdan Stelian Mîndrescu, and will include representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and other relevant institutions, as specified by Profit.ro.
The spokesperson for the Government in Chişinău, Daniel Vodă, stated on Wednesday that there are two port infrastructure entities operating in Giurgiuleşti: the Giurgiuleşti International Free Port (PILG), owned by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the State Port, which is owned by the Moldovan state.
The official confirmed that EBRD is in discussions with several potential investors, including those from Romania, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
Daniel Vodă specified that there are no discussions regarding the sale of the State Port, as reported by NewsMaker.
Since last year, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had announced that Romania could purchase the Giurgiuleşti Port in the Republic of Moldova.
"We must realize that the Constanța Port is strategic at the moment. I don't know what will happen with Odesa. There is another smaller port in the Republic of Moldova, Giurgiuleşti, and already, through the Minister of Transport, Romania has shown interest to EBRD - because the majority shareholder at Giurgiuleşti is EBRD - to buy it for the Romanian state and develop it," the Prime Minister stated on Digi 24.