Ukrainian exporters recommended using alternative routes bypassing Poland

MOSCOW. March 15 (Interfax) - Exporting companies should use alternative routes until the end of negotiations between Ukraine and Poland on crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border on March 28, after which the situation is likely to improve, Ukrainian Deputy Restoration Minister Yury Vaskov said.

"Market players, namely, registrars, exporters, importers, have to use alternative routes [for exporting goods]. Our position [of the Ministry of Restoration] is that as long as the issue is not resolved, it is required to look for alternative routes," Ukrainian media quoted him as saying at a roundtable in Kiev on Thursday.

Vaskov noted that the ministry's current priority is to develop infrastructure on all alternative routes, even if they are not in demand now.

"Ukraine should be ready for everything. The market will not wait for improvements for several weeks at a time. Unfortunately, it is essential to look for and use [alternative export routes]," Vaskov said.

Vaskov noted that the border is operating as before for Polish rail shipments. At the same time, problems persist at road checkpoints.

He also said that a Ukrainian-Polish meeting on addressing the problems on the Ukrainian-Polish border is scheduled to take place on March 28. The Ukrainian side intends to put forward an algorithm for solving the existing problems and expects positive results of these negotiations even despite the fact that they will be difficult.