EU to offer its infrastructure to facilitate export of 20 mln tonnes of grain from Ukraine - Rada deputy

KYIV. May 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Ukraine will be able to supply 20 million tonnes of grain to foreign markets under the European Union's Solidarity Lanes project to promote global food security, Danylo Hetmantsev, head of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy Committee, said on social media on Wednesday.

This grain will be exported from Ukraine using the EU's infrastructure, he said.

"Together with our European partners, we're working on finding more grain carriers, setting up special green corridors for grain exports, and simplifying and expediting the customs, veterinary, and phytosanitary inspection procedures at the Ukraine-EU borders in 24/7 mode," he said.

Hetmantsev thanked Canada for offering its vessels to ship Ukrainian grain by sea through East European ports. He also mentioned Ukraine's idea to set up an international organization of grain exporting countries to promote global food security.

As reported earlier, European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean presented an action plan titled Solidarity Lanes in Brussels on May 12, which is aimed at facilitating Ukrainian food exports. In particular, the plan envisions the shipment of 20 million tonnes of grain from Ukraine using EU infrastructure within less than three months.