President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who is on a working visit to Ukraine.
The meeting focused on coordinating joint actions to rebuild Ukraine's infrastructure and develop transportation capabilities to export Ukrainian goods to international markets.
In particular, the parties discussed the prospects of further development of an alternative humanitarian route in the Black Sea for the transportation of Ukrainian export products. The President emphasized that military support from the United States is critically important for the reliable protection of this corridor from Russian attacks.
"We are extremely interested in developing the railway transport network of Ukraine, which is also important for enhancing our cooperation with European countries. The United States has a significant potential to provide Ukraine with appropriate assistance," the Head of State emphasized.
The prospects for establishing joint production in the defence industry were also discussed.
Buttigieg arrived in Kyiv today. He is expected to announce the appointment of Robert Mariner as a senior advisor to provide technical assistance and share his experience in implementing infrastructure projects.
Mariner has previously performed engineering work for the US Air Force and Navy and has extensive experience in transport projects, having previously served as an advisor to the transport adviser at the US Embassy in Kabul. He will be based in Kyiv to provide technical assistance on projects as part of Ukraine's recovery efforts.