MYKOLAIV, NOVEMBER 25th, 2010, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — Ports of Ghent and Mykolaiv have signed cooperation memorandum, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

The agency has been informed about it today, 25 November, at the press service of the Port of Ghent.

According to their information, the port of Ghent has been doing business with the Ukraine for years. In order to have trade increase even further, Ghent Port Company will be working closely with the Ukrainian port of Mykolaiv at the Black Sea.

It was on Tuesday night, November 23, 2010 that this cooperation was officially announced during a princely mission in the Ukrainian city of Kiev in the presence of His Princely Highness Filip and of Daan Schalck, CEO of Ghent Port Company.

This cooperation links with the 2010-2020 strategic plan that the Port Company recently traced out for port of Ghent. Indeed, the port wishes to further concentrate on the Black Sea region and invest in bio energy among other things. Moreover, the Ukraine is strategically located at the crossing of transport routes in the direction of Asia and Europe.

The press service informed, in the past 3 years port of Ghent registered a cargo traffic of about 650,000 tonnes a year with the Ukraine. It mainly concerns mineral fuels such as anthracite and agricultural products such as rapeseed. In Ghent port's classification according to countries the Ukraine — pre-eminently a country of industry and agriculture — takes the 15th position.

Mykolaiv is situated in the south of the Ukraine on a peninsula at the Black Sea and counts over half a million inhabitants. It is a known administrative, industrial, cultural and scientific centre. Among other things shipbuilding and the food industry strike the eye there.

Mykolaiv is a major junction for seagoing and inland navigation, rail, air and road traffic. As a port it has a vast hinterland with the Ukraine and its 50 million inhabitants that connects with the neighbouring countries of Russia, Belorussia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldavia.

By strengthening the trade relations with the port city of Mykolaiv, Ghent Port Company wants to realize more cargo traffic with the Ukraine region.