PORT INTERNATIONAL LIBRE

The International Freeport of Giurgiulești is the only merchant and passenger port in the country. It is also Moldova's only access to the Black Sea. In the past, Moldova included the Izmail region, which had greater access to the sea, but it was given to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic by Stalin. The port is located at the confluence of the rivers Prut and Danube. The depth of its waters is up to 7 m. The construction of the port took place from 1996 to 2009. It comprises an oil terminal (opened in 2007), a grain terminal (opened in 2009) and a railway hub. The construction of the port had at the time raised debates about the cost of the works, the usefulness of the port and the risks of pollution of the Danube. The port brought together Moldovan, Russian, Greek and Azerbaijani shareholders, but is managed by Danube Logistics, a Dutch company. The port has enabled a strong development of economic activities at local as well as national level. Port activities revolve around the international transport of goods, but also passengers. From May to August, the liner Princess Elena operates connections to Istanbul (Turkey) in 18 hours. It is also possible to reach the Romanian ports of Galați, Tulcea and Sulina, which are nearby. Access to Romania is also possible by land. From Giurgiulești you can reach the neighbouring Ukraine by land via Reni. The Danube delta region is very beautiful.