U.S. Ambassador to Romania Adrian Zuckerman has announced plans to build a highway and railroad linking the Black Sea port of Constanta to the Polish port of Gdansk on the Baltic Sea.
Speaking in Washington at the Department of Energy Intergovernmental Agreement between the U.S. and Romania on Friday, the ambassador said: “We are embarking on a new project for Romania, with Poland, to build a highway and railroad from Constanta…. to Gdansk.”
The shortest road trip from Constanta to Gdansk is about 1,700 kilometers (1,063 miles), a route which passes through Ukraine. Motorists often prefer to bypass the former Soviet republic and drive through Hungary adding to the mileage.
The ambassador didn’t provide any more details about the project.
Romania and Poland are the U.S.’ closest allies in Eastern Europe and have creaky infrastructure, inherited from the Communist era. Both countries are members of NATO and the European Union.
Mr, Zuckerman said the massive infrastructure projects would “be a tremendous boon to the Romanian and Polish economies, and regional economies, for years to come.
“Romania, along with Poland, is the defense lynchpin against Russian aggression on Europe’s eastern flank,” the ambassador said in his address.
The ambassador thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his “vision and support for Romania, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Ludovic Orban “for their support and leadership.
“Romania welcomes many of our latest weaponry systems, like Patriot missile batteries, HIMAR rockets, Aegis antiballistic missile systems, and various other systems. Soon it will also host many more of our service men and women.”
“We have found in Romania an ally, friend and partner that shares our democratic values, freedom, exceptionalism and resolve to make tomorrow a better day for both of our countries.
