Minister Kupka discussed the transportation plans of the Czech Presidency and aid for Ukraine 22/3/2022|Press releasesHelping Ukraine rebuild its transport infrastructure, developing high-speed lines and preparing a European secure satellite communications system. Transport Minister Martin Kupka discussed all these topics during his first working visit to Brussels where he met his European counterparts: European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean, head of the Directorate-General for Transport Henrik Hololei, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton who has space activities in his portfolio and European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager. He also presented to his counterparts the upcoming events in the field of transportation, which the Czech Republic will hold during the upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU. "The whole Ministry of Transport is preparing for the upcoming six months of the Czech Presidency. Everything will be affected by the Russian war in Ukraine. We are of course also responding to the situation in the way we are preparing our priorities. It is clear that many things will change and the success of our Presidency will also depend on how we are able to tackle the current problems. Well-managed logistics will be one of the important pre-conditions for the reconstruction of Ukraine destroyed in the war. In the area of transportation, we will certainly focus on strengthening interconnections between countries, especially the development of high-speed rail links, which we see as the future of European transport. I believe that we can also contribute to finding compromises between countries in the area of reducing emissions in transport," said Minister Kupka after the talks. At the start of his "Brussels Day" in Brussels, Minister Kupka met with Henrik Hololei, Director General of DG-MOVE Directorate General for Transport Henrik Hololei. He then held talks with Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Space, who coordinates space activities on the European level. They discussed primarily the forthcoming Secure Connectivity,Regulation, which should lead to an autonomous European network of secure satellite connections. "The Russian invasion of Ukraine has reminded us once again of the importance of building an independent and secure European satellite system. That is why we strongly support the Secure Connectivity programme and consider the negotiation of its design as one of our Presidency priorities. This system can also represent a great opportunity for our companies, which can be involved in its development," said Minister Kupka. During his visit to Brussels, the head of the transport ministry also held talks with his counterpart in the European Commission – European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean. "We followed up our last meeting with the EU Commissioner in Krakow, Poland, and discussed transportation help to Ukraine. The country has suffered huge damage to its transport infrastructure and it is clear that a European plan will be needed to rebuild it – a new Marshall Plan for Ukraine. We are ready to actively participate in its preparation," Kupka said after the meeting. Prague – Liberec between TEN-T networks The upcoming Czech Presidency was also discussed at the joint meeting. "We discussed legislative proposals that will fall within the period of our Presidency. It is for example the regulation on the introduction of infrastructure for alternative fuels. Equally important for us is the revision of the TEN-T transport network policy where, beyond the high-speed rail lines negotiated, we are seeking to include the new Prague-Liberec rail link in the extended TEN-T network," Minister Kupka added. At the end of his visit to Brussels, Minister Kupka also met with Czech members of the European Parliament to discuss the Czech transportation priorities during the upcoming EU Presidency. The Czech Republic will begin its historic second Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 July. And the Ministry of Transport will organise an informal meeting of the Transport Council in Prague in October as part of the Presidency. Events at expert level are being prepared as well. To be specific, Brno should host the Urban Mobility Days event, which will present modern trends, technologies and innovations in the field of urban mobility. The European Space Week will take place in the Prague Exhibition Centre in early October. Minister Kupka invited his European colleagues to all these events.