Ukraine has been granted the status of an associated member state of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), the press service of the Ministry of Economy has reported.

"At the summit of the Three Seas Initiative in Bucharest on September 6, 2023, Ukraine became an associated member state of the 3SI. According to First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko, this means that our country has gained access to all the tools developed as part of the initiative," the press service of the Ministry of Economy said on Thursday.

"On the first day of the summit, the discussion focused primarily on the issue of Ukraine. For our partners, the war that Russia started was an occasion to think about the need to change global approaches – upgrading infrastructure, transport systems, providing food, attracting investment in energy and other strategic sectors to completely get rid of Russian oil and gas. Partners urged us to join the restructuring of the region's architecture, which is a requirement of the times due to Russian aggression," Svyrydenko was quoted as saying by the ministry's press service.

As noted in the report, "both for Ukraine and for countries that are members or associate members of the Three Seas Initiative, the key focus of efforts is the development of logistics and trade in the region. As Svyrydenko said, the states participating in this initiative are developing transport capabilities for facilitating exports from Ukraine. Therefore, despite the war and regular attacks, trade in the Danube and trade routes that go to the ports of Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Greece are developing rapidly.

Also, Svyrydenko drew attention to the need to solve problems in trade relations between countries. First of all, it is removing barriers to trade and restoring the export of Ukrainian grain and other crops.