Budapest, November 27 – Hungary and Ukraine have announced plans to submit a joint proposal to the European Union for a €1 billion investment in developing border crossings and road infrastructure between the two countries.

Levente Magyar, Hungary's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, revealed the ambitious project during a press conference with Ukrainian officials. The plan includes the construction of two new highway connections, new freight crossing points, and upgrades to existing roads on both sides of the border.

Starting from November 27, empty trucks have been allowed to cross from Ukraine into Hungary via the Beregsurány-Astei border crossing, easing the pressure on the congested Zahony border checkpoint. Additionally, Ukraine plans to completely renovate and expand the capacity of its Astei border checkpoint over the next two years.

Magyar further announced that the border crossing between Nagykálló and Berehove is also set to open soon, marking the sixth crossing point along the Hungarian-Ukrainian border.

“In 2013, Hungary and Ukraine signed their first memorandum of understanding on developing the border section. However, due to various crises in Ukraine, the government was unable to address border checkpoint issues, and the 2022 war completely removed these issues from the agenda,” Magyar explained.

He added, “Last year, we realized that Ukraine could not integrate into the EU and the European economy without developing border crossing points, so we were able to accelerate our work.”

Magyar emphasized, “If these projects are completed by the end of the decade, we will do our best to ensure that passenger and freight traffic between Ukraine, Hungary, and the European Union is smooth and at maximum capacity.”

Viktor Mykyta, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, noted that both countries are located on transit routes and that improvements are necessary to handle the vast amount of goods crossing the border. “Today, we have taken a small but important step. The opening of the Astei checkpoint will ensure the movement of empty trucks to Hungary, and the first two trucks have already moved from Ukraine to Hungary today,” he said.

Serhiy Derkach, Deputy Minister of Regional Development of Ukraine, clarified in response to reporters' questions that the investment would be funded through the state budget, other partners, and a €9.6 million program from the EU.