Kmec: Direct Train Connection Bratislava-Kiev to Be Launched as of December 15

Kosice, November 6 (TASR) - A direct train connection between Bratislava and Kiev, Ukraine, is scheduled to start on December 15, Vice-Premier Peter Kmec (Voice-SD) said in Kosice on Wednesday following a meeting of the intergovernmental commission for economic, industrial and scientific-technical cooperation between Slovakia and Ukraine. According to him, the agreement reached at the level of prime ministers of both countries at the October meeting of the cabinets near Uzhhorod, Ukraine will be fulfilled. "As agreed at the level of the prime ministers, a direct railway line between Kiev and Bratislava will be launched, so one of the strategic projects that we've undertaken to make it easier for Ukrainian citizens to travel to the European Union will come to fruition before the end of the year," said Kmec. The setting up of the railway line was praised by Ukrainian Vice-Premier Yulia Svyrydenko. "We're very happy to see that the volumes of freight traffic are growing, but also passenger traffic," she said about the joint projects. Kmec stated that the current priority within the bilateral cooperation is the building of infrastructure, especially railway and road infrastructure. "A month ago, a joint meeting of the governments was held, where it was reiterated that we need to complete the infrastructure and border crossings so that we can operate efficiently and quickly as we expand our cooperation," he stated. am/mcs