Poland and Ukraine signed an agreement on Tuesday to resume the transit of Ukrainian grain through the territory of a neighboring country, which was suspended on Saturday, the Polish Ministry of Agriculture said.
“We have managed to create mechanisms that guarantee that not a single ton of wheat will remain in Poland, that goods will transit through Poland,” Robert Telus said after a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Warsaw.
Both sides indicated that the transit of Ukrainian grain through Poland should resume in the coming days.
“We approach our problems and the problems of our Polish colleagues with the same attention that Poland treats ours. As a result, we must respond quickly and constructively to this crisis,” Yulia Sviridenko, Minister of Economic Development of Ukraine, told the media.
The transportation of Ukrainian grain through Poland is specially controlled by the GPS system, the Polish minister explained.
On Saturday, Poland decided to ban the import of grains and other agricultural products from neighboring Ukraine to protect its own farmers, without consulting Kiev or the European Commission and without exposing itself to criticism from both sides.
Ukrainian grains destined for foreign countries are transiting through the European Union (EU) after the traditional Black Sea export route was blocked by the Russian invasion.
But contrary to the original projects, which provided only for their transit, grain stockpiles accumulated in Poland, which caused local prices to fall, which led to demonstrations by farmers and the resignation of the former Polish minister of agriculture.
Hungary and Slovakia, claiming to protect their farmers, also announced a temporary ban on the import of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine.
In May 2022, the EU suspended customs duties for one year on all goods imported from Ukraine and arranged to allow the export of its grain stocks after the Black Sea routes were closed following Russia’s invasion of the country. .
On Sunday, Ukrainian Agricultural Policy Minister Mykola Solsky said he expected “difficult negotiations” with several European countries, including Poland, as well as with Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania.
The ban on the import of Ukrainian cereals “makes it difficult” to achieve a “common victory”, the Ukrainian minister complained.
On Monday, the European Union (EU) denounced the “unacceptable” measure and said it was “considering” a second aid package for farmers in the affected countries.
The Commission said that it “requested additional information from the competent authorities in order to be able to evaluate these measures”, namely their legal basis.
“It is important to emphasize that trade policy is the exclusive competence of the EU and that unilateral action is unacceptable,” said Miriam García Ferrer, spokeswoman for the European executive.
“In these difficult times, it is extremely important to coordinate and harmonize all decisions within the EU,” he added.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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