Adrian Marinescu: The opening of this line has several significant aspects. On one hand, it means the setting into practice of the agreements of combined transport concluded by Romania with a series of countries from Central Asia: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaidjan, Turkmenistan. All these countries are located in a zone abundant in mineral resources (crude oil, gas) and vegetal (cotton), etc.
Romania, through the Constanta port, the largest port at the Black Sea, disposes of all possible facilities for transport: railway, national road, the future highway, channel, airport, terminal for ferryboat lines and those for crude oil, cereals, etc. In conclusion, there are here multiple possibilities for operation and transport of goods.
On the other hand, the opening of the ferryboat route Constanta-Poti represents a bridge between Europe and Asia, Romania and other countries from the Caucasus.

A.M.: The ferryboat line will contribute to the increase of the volume of goods transited both on the railways and on the other transport types. Practically, it reunites the link between the pan-European corridors established at the Transport Conference from Crete and subsequently at Helsinki – and the TRANSECA Corridor.
A less visible “battle” is fought among the countries located in the vicinity of this route in order to occupy the transport routes. Romania is situated on the shortest road between the countries of the TRANSECA Corridor and European Corridor IV to the West of Europe. But at the same time, Bulgaria has already opened a ferryboat line between Burgas and the ports Poti and Batumi, a fact also accomplished by the Ukraine through the terminal from Iljicevsk. Romania was left somehow outside this corridor. By opening the route Constanta Ferryboat-Poti we compete with our neighbors.
We could also talk about the political importance of this event which strengthens on economic plan the political relations established by Romania with the neighboring countries and those from the Caucasus, as a series of agreements in different fields have been concluded at the level of heads of states, governments, mixed cooperation commissions, ministries.

A.M.: The first voyage was only an experimental one, for testing. We wanted to know how the boat behaves, what measures are further to be taken for its adaptation to the terminal, to the berths. As a result of the performed publicity, offers for the transport by trucks from the country, from Iran and Turkey started to arrive and on 15 April it could be possible that the goods ferryboat starts again to travel to Poti.
CFR Goods, in fact the ship-owner, concluded a freight contract with a local agent from Poti, which is going to perform all transactions related to the operation of the goods and the ensuring of the ship with the necessary formalities and goods. There are agreements between the ports Constanta, Poti and Batumi in regard to the exoneration from port duties for a period of six months. The promotional tariffs for the stimulation of transporters have also been confirmed, as we cannot talk about income on a hardly opened route until the goods fluxes are established. However, we hope that in six months there will be a profit both for the Goods Company and for the other involved factors: Constanta port, the railways, generally and why not the road activity.
We hope that after the increase of the transported goods volume, the administration of the Georgian port will accomplish modernization works for the terminal Poti for the normal line. Thus, it will be possible that a wagon from Hamburg, for example, can be taken on the railways and ferryboat till Kazachstan without unloading the goods.
It would be ideal as it would shorten the duration, lower the costs and ensure the safety of the transport. In conclusion it would allow a faster and safer link between the two continents.