ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY IN SHAPING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY FOR THE TRANSPORT SECTOR OF UKRAINE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Abstract
The transport sector plays a strategic role in supporting sustainable economic development, international competitiveness, and the integration of national economies into global and regional value chains. Concurrently, the transformation of transport policy necessitates the active deployment of economic diplomacy instruments to harmonise national and supranational interests, attract investment, implement innovations, ensure compliance with environmental standards, and foster international cooperation in the transport sector. To examine the role of economic diplomacy in shaping sustainable development policy for the transport sector of Ukraine and the European Union, taking into account the sectoral specificities of various transport modes, and to substantiate directions for enhancing the effectiveness of integrating Ukraine's transport system into the European transport space. The approaches of the European Union and Ukraine to implementing sustainable transport development policy through economic diplomacy mechanisms have been analysed. The distinctive features of diplomatic interaction across transport segments, particularly road and rail, have been identified, with consideration of environmental requirements, digitalisation, and institutional harmonisation with the EU. The key aspects of modernising Ukraine's transport sector have been substantiated in the context of implementing sustainable development policy, strengthening its competitiveness, and integrating it into the European transport space under current conditions. Economic diplomacy is a vital instrument for shaping sustainable development policy for Ukraine's transport sector and the EU, ensuring the coordination of strategic priorities, the development of international partnerships, and the enhancement of transport system competitiveness, whilst also providing access to substantial investment and technological resources. Its strengthening will facilitate Ukraine's integration into European transport networks, improve logistics efficiency, and advance the realisation of long-term sustainable development objectives.
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