Ukraine, Romania to jointly build bridge over Tisa River

Ukraine and Romania have agreed to intensify their collaboration on shared infrastructure initiatives, with a key focus on the construction of a bridge over the Tisa River.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko and Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Cioa, according to Ukrainian media reports.

The two officials held wide-ranging discussions that included European integration, strengthening defence cooperation, Romania's involvement in Ukraine’s post-war recovery, and the advancement of joint infrastructure projects.

“Ukraine and Romania share a common vision of the future of our region in the European Union,” said Prime Minister Sviridenko. “We appreciate Romania's support on this path and are determined to coordinate our efforts even more closely in the process of acquiring membership.”

In addition to the Tisa River bridge project, both sides explored ways to deepen defence cooperation. One proposal includes adopting a model similar to Denmark’s, which involves direct financing of military production within Ukraine, potentially paving the way for joint arms manufacturing ventures between Ukrainian and Romanian industries.

Reconstruction efforts also featured prominently in the talks. Sviridenko emphasised the importance of Romanian private sector participation in rebuilding Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy. She extended an invitation to Romania’s special envoy for reconstruction to visit Kyiv, accompanied by a business delegation, to identify and develop specific joint projects.

In a related development, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced the upcoming launch of a direct rail link between Kyiv and the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on a trial basis. The initiative is expected to improve regional connectivity and complement the broader framework of bilateral cooperation.

By Tamilla Hasanova