The World Bank is giving technical aid this month to a new Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority project to attract more private investment to the nation’s 13 seaports.

The World Bank is giving technical aid this month to a new Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority project to attract more private investment to the nation’s 13 seaports. The project is reviewing port sector laws, assessing the conditions of ports, reviewing governance structures, and drawing up “a roadmap to help move the sector to a full landlord model.” Raivis Veckagans, CEO of the Sea Ports Authority, says his agency “has set ambitious goals: to significantly increase current handling of 130 million tons of cargo per year, to achieve European standards of service, and to promote Ukraine as an important player on existing and emerging global trade routes.”