President: Slovakia Wants to Enable Ukraine to Have Train Connection with Ports

Warsaw, April 29 (TASR-correspondent) - President Peter Pellegrini reported at a press conference after the plenary session of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI - 13 states located in the region between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas) summit in Warsaw about the implementation of the Trieste-Bratislava rail line in cooperation with Italy, which should continue to Cierna nad Tisou at the border with Ukraine. According to the president, this would help Slovakia to be a leader in enabling Ukraine to connect with ports in the Mediterranean. "Slovakia today and in the future will serve as a certain transit corridor towards Ukraine from the EU and back," said the president, pointing to the intention to complete the D1 motorway to the Ukrainian border. According to the head of state, another road corridor waiting to be completed is the R4 expressway in the east of Slovakia. "Here, of course, Slovakia has to step up a gear," added Pellegrini. The president also informed about a planned major investment in a new port on the Danube, which should increase the intermodality of transport by linking the river, rail and road networks. Pellegrini stressed that strengthening the transport links within the Three Seas Initiative is essential not only for Slovakia, but also for supporting Ukraine and connecting it to European markets and ports. Slovakia thus wants to play an active role in linking the region and strengthening its economic and strategic stability. am