Тhe tariff commission of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia has approved a 20% discount for tariffs of shipping freights to Mariupol and Berdiansk seaports, Deputy Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Lavreniuk said at the Ukrainian Port Forum 2019 in Odesa on Thursday last week.

According to him, this will provide additional cargo traffic to the ports and ensure their uninterrupted operation.

"Last week, the tariff commission of Ukrzaliznytsia decided to offer a 20% discount on railway tariffs to the Mariupol and Berdiansk ports on the Sea of Azov. This will enable the mentioned seaports to lower the price and they will become competitive with the Black Sea ports," Lavreniuk said.

He said that the Infrastructure Ministry is working to return cargo flows to the ports of the Azov region, allowing them to continue development, despite the negative impact of the illegal actions taken by Russia in the Azov basin.