PARTICIPATION OF THE "UKRZOVNISHTRANS" ASSOCIATION DELEGATION IN THE FIATA WORLD CONGRESS 2026 (MILAN, ITALY)

From October 6 to 9, 2026, the FIATA World Congress 2026—the premier event of the year in global logistics—took place at the Allianz MiCo venue in Milan, Italy. This year’s congress held special historical significance, as it marked the 100th anniversary of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA).
The "UKRZOVNISHTRANS" Association took an active part in the congress, representing the interests of the Ukrainian transport and freight forwarding community at the highest international level. The Association’s delegation included:
•    Svitlana Naidenko — Director General of the "UKRZOVNISHTRANS" Association.
•    Inessa Platonova — Founder of PLASKE Academy, Vice President of ICC Ukraine, and an expert in exports, business scaling, and development.
•    Roman and Viktoriia Naumychev — Heads and co-founders of the logistics company "FAIR LOGIC."
Opening Ceremony and the Historical Legacy of FIATA
The FIATA opening ceremony was more than just a formal occasion; it was a moment where the history of a century-long partnership came to life on stage. Congress participants were reminded of the events of 1926 in Vienna, when sixteen associations from across Europe united around a bold vision for the collective development of global logistics. On May 31, 1926, this initiative laid the foundation for the creation of FIATA. At the time, these industry pioneers could hardly have imagined that their decision would evolve into the world’s largest non-governmental organization of freight forwarders—serving as the voice for logistics professionals across 150 countries and territories. For Ukraine, this historical overview holds special significance, as our region was represented among the 16 founding associations in 1926:
1.    Lemberger Spediteur-Verein, Lviv (then part of Poland, now Ukraine) 
2.    Zentralverband der Spediteure, Vienna, Austria 
3.    Allgemeiner Möbeltransportverband, Vienna, Austria 
4.    Fédération Nationale des Entrepreneurs de Transport de Belgique, Antwerp, Belgium 
5.    Udruženje Speditera Kraljevine S.H.S., Zagreb, Croatia 
6.    GLOBUS Association of Czechoslovak Freight Forwarders, Prague, Czech Republic 
7.    Svaz československých zasilatelů, Prague, Czech Republic 
8.    Nordisk Speditør-Forbund, Copenhagen, Denmark 
9.    Dansk Møbeltransport-Forening, Copenhagen, Denmark 
10.    Verein Deutscher Spediteure e.V., Berlin, Germany 
11.    National Association of Hungarian Forwarders, Budapest, Hungary 
12.    Associazione Triestina Degli Spedizioneri, Trieste, Italy 
13.    Scheepvaart Vereeniging Noord, Amsterdam, Netherlands 
14.    Maribor Forwarders' Association, Maribor, Slovenia 
15.    Schweizerischer Spediteure-Verband, Bern, Switzerland 
16.    London Shipping and Forwarding Agents' Conference, London, United Kingdom
Diverse cities and languages ​​united for a single goal: to protect ...and to promote shared professional and economic interests. A symbolic moment—and a source of pride for the entire Ukrainian delegation—was the presentation of an Honorary Diploma. This recognition underscores the continuity between generations and the significant contribution of today’s professionals to the advancement of an endeavor that began 100 years ago. Every shipping container, every cargo shipment, and every customs clearance process is the result of a choice made long ago: to embrace cooperation rather than cutthroat competition.
2. Strategic Partnership and Successful Cooperation Negotiations
Svitlana Naidenko, Director General of the Association, held a series of meetings with the leadership of national associations and international logistics companies, aimed at expanding opportunities for Ukrainian businesses within the European market. As a result of these negotiations, agreements were reached with the following international partners:
•    Langowski Logistics Sp. z o.o. (Poland): This Polish logistics firm proposed joining forces to expand Ukrainian export capabilities and optimize European transit supply chains. This collaboration will enhance the speed and reliability of cargo deliveries routed through Polish logistics hubs.
•    Korez inženiring d.o.o. (Slovenia): A proposal for strategic cooperation was received from this Slovenian logistics and engineering company. They expressed a strong interest in expanding partnerships with Ukrainian freight forwarders and logistics operators to implement joint projects. •    P&B Terminal (Riga, Latvia): Terms of cooperation were successfully discussed with Baltic colleagues. P&B Terminal offers special (preferential) cargo handling terms for Ukrainian freight forwarders, creating new, advantageous opportunities to diversify logistics routes via Northern Europe.
3. The Association’s delegation participated in the congress’s official anniversary events:
•    A business reception marking the opening of the congress (October 6).
•    An "Italian Night" networking event at the Alfa Romeo Museum (October 7).
•    A Centenary Gala Dinner at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology (October 8), which served as an excellent platform for strengthening friendly ties with colleagues from around the world for the sake of successful.the development of the industry over the next 100 years.
Participation in the FIATA World Congress 2026 enabled the "UKRZOVNISHTRANS" Association to significantly strengthen its international ties, declare its readiness for deeper integration with European operators, and bring back a set of concrete commercial and infrastructure proposals for the Ukrainian logistics sector.
Materials from the working sessions, speaker presentations, and practical case studies from the Congress will be analyzed and presented to the Association's members.