Ukraine, Poland agree on grain transits

KYIV. May 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Ukraine and Poland have agreed on the transit of grain shipments through joint border inspection points and railway transit through the Werchrata - Rava Ruska, Medyka - Shehyni, and Kroscienko - Smilnytsya border points.

Ukrainian Agrarian Policy Minister Mykola Solsky and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Henryk Kowalczyk made a relevant joint statement on facilitating exports of Ukrainian grain and the recognition by Ukraine of the African swine fever regionalization of Polish territory on May 16, the Ukrainian Agrarian Policy Ministry said.

"This would make it significantly easier for our grain shipments to cross the border and would accelerate and increase the volume of exports, which is a priority in the Agrarian Policy Ministry's work now," the ministry quoted Solsky as saying.

Apart from the transit of Ukrainian grain via Polish border points, the parties also agreed to increase the number of Polish veterinary inspectors on the border with Ukraine to 19 so that they could switch to a round-the-clock working schedule at the busiest border crossings.

Solsky and Kowalczyk also attached special significance to the transit through Poland of Ukrainian animal products belonging to categories that are not authorized in line with EU standards (pork, beef, mutton, certain aquaculture products, etc.).

The parties earlier agreed to set up a joint venture to intensify railway transportation and made significant progress in liberalizing automobile transportation.

Ukraine resumed the transit of pork and beef via the EU on May 11. Pork, beef, and their products produced in Ukraine can now be exported to third countries via the EU territory.