Romania is looking for package control in the port of Giurgiulesti in Moldova

The Government of Romania on August 28 approved the start of negotiations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the purchase of a major stake in the Danube river port in Moldova, Giurgiulesti.

The port, located near Moldova’s borders with Romania and Ukraine, is 134 kilometers from the Black Sea and can be accessed by river and sea vessels.

Two different port infrastructure entities operate in Giurgiulești — Giurgiulești State Port and Giurgiulești Free International Port. The government of the Republic of Moldova declared on August 28 that it does not intend to sell the state port.

The negotiations will take place with the operator of the Giurgiulești Free International Port, Danube Logistics SRL, which was acquired by the EBRD in 2021.

The Government of Romania approved a memorandum for the formation of a negotiation commission and the start of discussions with the EBRD for the acquisition of Danube Logistics SRL. The purchase would be made through a company controlled by the Romanian state through the Ministry of Transport.

“The Romanian state has expressed its interest in buying the shares under the conditions of competition between the port of Constanța and the other ports on the Black Sea and those of other EU states, as well as the expansion of the port of Constanța and its transformation into a market leader for Central Europe and of the Southeast,” the memo said.

A spokesperson for the government of the Republic of Moldova said that the EBRD is in negotiations with several potential investors, including from Romania, Turkey, the Netherlands and Denmark.

The Romanian government did not say when it expected negotiations to take place or how much it was willing to pay, but it appears to be under pressure to start negotiations because Bulgarian firm MBF Port Burgas has already shown interest in Giurgiulesti.

MBF Port Burgas operates two terminals in the port of Burgas in southern Bulgaria and is part of Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar). Until 2008, Navibulgar was the largest shipping company owned by the Sofia government.

After privatization, Navibulgar ended up in the portfolio of the billionaire brothers Kiril Domuschiev and Georgi Petrov Domuschiev, close to former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

RFE/RL reached out to MBF Port Burgas for comment, but did not hear back.

An EBRD official confirmed to RFE/RL that the bank wants to sell its stake in Giurgiulesti port and is interested in making the process transparent.

“The EBRD wants to find a reputable buyer for the port. We are often approached by various interested buyers, but we are currently focused on working with the government of the Republic of Moldova to pave the way for a transparent sale process,” the EBRD official. said.

Romania’s main port of Constanța on the Black Sea has seen an influx of investment, including EU funds to increase its capacity, since it became Ukraine’s largest alternative grain export route following the large-scale invasion of Russia in 2022.

According to the memorandum, taking into account the competition between the Port of Constanța and the other ports of the Black Sea basin and of the EU member states, the acquisition of the Giurgiulesti Free International Port would contribute to the expansion of the port of Constanţa and its transformation into a market leader for Central and South-Eastern Europe.

The Romanian state’s interest in the port was announced last year by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

Through this investment, Romania will become one of the most important international nodes for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the end of the war, he said then.

Via RFE/RL

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