Transport and Covid-19: responses and resources

Transport Ministers meet in Poland for High-level Dialogue on Ukraine

A High-level Dialogue with transport ministers from several ITF member countries will be held on 29-30 March 2023 in Rzeszów-Jasionka, Poland. The theme of the conference is "Connecting Ukraine with Europe and the World: Rebuilding and Developing Sustainable Transport Infrastructure and Efficient Supply Chains".

Initiated by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland, the event is co-organised by the Secretariat of the International Transport Forum (ITF) with the Ministry in the context of the ITF's series of High-Level Dialogues for Transport.

Through its High-level Dialogues, the ITF provides fora to discuss transport-related issues of interest on specific topics or in specific world regions. The high-level conferences complement the global dialogue for better transport at the ITF's Annual Summits, the world's premier transport policy event.

ITF High-level Dialogues have so far been held on Covid-19 and on regional issues in Latin America and Asia. A further High-level Dialogue for Transport in Latin America will be held on 18 April 2023 in Buenos Aires in co-operation with the government of Argentina.

On the occasion of the event in Rzeszow-Jasionka, ITF Secretary-General Kim said:

"I thank Poland's Minister of Infrastructure, Andrzej Adamczyk, for this initiative.

The war in Ukraine is causing unimaginable human suffering.

It is also bringing large-scale destruction of infrastructure.

In our member country Ukraine, bombs destroy bridges, roads, rail lines and ports – valuable assets created to bring people together and enable mutually beneficial trade.

This war does the opposite of what the transport community is working for. It must end quickly.

As we work towards that goal, we must at the same time look to the future after the conflict and think about how Ukraine can best rebuild, reconstruct and reconnect.

And that is what today's High-level Dialogue is about:

It is about restoring Ukraine's internal transport links so its citizens can again travel their country safely, seamlessly, and sustainably.

And it is about how to re-establish and re-enforce Ukraine's connections with Europe and the world to enable its businesses to trade and its economy to prosper again.

This may seem a long way off if we look at the ongoing drama across the border. But the time will come, and we must make a plan now.

The ITF Secretariat stands ready with its convening power and analytical capabilities to aid ITF member countries in supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine's transport systems and reconnecting what has been severed."



ITF work on transport and the war in Ukraine

How the war in Ukraine impacts aviation – and what to do about it (PDF)
No. 3 | 22 December 2022

Transport Connectivity in Central Asia: Strengthening Alternative Trade Corridors between Europe and Asia (PDF)
No. 2 | 24 October 2022

Dealing with the War's Impacts on Ukraine's Ports: How to Get More Grain to the World (PDF)
No. 1 | 11 July 2022

Media Releases from the ITF

Member countries vote to restrict participation of Russia and Belarus in operational activities of the ITF
4 May 2022

ITF Secretary-General's Statements on the Ukraine Crisis
15 March 2022



Media contact:

Michael Kloth
Head of Communications
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