The Government of Romania has formally started negotiations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to buy Danube Logistics shares held by the EBRD in the Giurgiulești Free International Port in Moldova.

A negotiation commission will be created, which will include representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance. The Romanian government will have the controlling interest as a result of the deal.

The Romanian Government’s spokesperson Mihai Constantin said the new acquisition will be integrated into the Port of Constanța system in line with the effort to “transform this ecosystem into one of the most important cargo convergence points in this part of Europe at the very least”.

Earlier today, the Moldovan Government’s spokesperson Daniel Vodă clarified that the deal involves the Giurgiulesti Free International Port, and not the state-owned port in the same location, which are two distinct entities. “There are currently no talks to sell the state-owned port”, he stressed.