Romania acquires the operator of Giurgiulesti Port: strategic implications for the Ukrainian Danube region

The Government of Romania has officially announced the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Danube Logistics, the operator of the Giurgiulesti International Free Port in Moldova. The shares were purchased from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with the final approval of the transaction price expected on 11 February 2026.

Following the completion of all procedures, Romania plans to invest more than EUR 24 million in the modernisation and further development of port infrastructure.

The declared objective of the deal is to integrate Giurgiulesti into Romania’s logistics network and strengthen its role within Danube and Black Sea transport corridors. At the same time, Romanian and Moldovan authorities emphasise that the transaction concerns only the private port operator: the land and state-owned assets of Moldova remain under Moldovan ownership. Romania had publicly expressed interest in the acquisition since 2023, while Chişinău granted its consent in the summer of 2025.

The Government of Moldova clarified that two separate port facilities operate in Giurgiulesti:

the Giurgiulesti International Free Port, previously operated under a concession held by a company owned by the EBRD;

a state-owned port, which remains the property of the Republic of Moldova.
Thus, no sale of the Moldovan state port has taken place; the transaction relates exclusively to the change of ownership of the concessionaire company.

IDR commentary

From the perspective of the Ukrainian Danube region, this development carries a negative strategic connotation. The consolidation of control over a key logistical node in the Danube delta area by an EU member state leads to a further concentration of logistical, tariff and infrastructural leverage in Romania’s hands.

Under wartime conditions and amid constraints faced by Ukrainian Danube ports (Reni, Izmail, Ust-Dunaisk), the strengthening of Giurgiulesti as a Romania-controlled hub creates:a risk of cargo diversion away from Ukrainian ports, 
asymmetric competition driven by unequal regulatory, tariff and investment conditions, 
a long-term structural challenge to Ukraine’s position within Danube logistics and Black Sea transport corridors.

The Institute of Danube Research considers it essential for Ukraine to urgently reinforce its Danube port policy, including targeted investment incentives, closer coordination with the EU, and proactive advocacy of Ukrainian Danube interests within international transport and financial institutions.