Ukraine wants to make up for suspension of grain exports by transit under new rules - agrarian policy minister
MOSCOW. April 10 (Interfax) - Ukraine hopes to make up for the suspension of grain exports to Poland by increasing transit under new rules, which will be agreed within this week and approved at the next meeting on the Ukrainian-Polish border on Friday, Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Nikolai Solsky said.
"The Ukrainian grain exports via Poland should not be affected. On the contrary, it will gain better momentum. The queues should lessen. Among the solutions that are being currently discussed is the improvement of procedures for transit, no delays for vehicles and rail transport, which are heading to Polish ports or other countries, including the European Union," the Ukrainian media quoted the minister as saying during a telethon.
He said he hoped that the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products would not be checked by the methods that are currently practiced in Europe, and instead of taking samples of grain and other products "from every vehicle, from every railcar" checks of these goods will be exclusively documentary. "There will be no trucks standing in queues for a week or a week and a half and no railcars standing idle, as it is happening now," the minister said.
The minister noted that not only grains were exported to and via Poland, but other products, as well. "We see the potential for the same Poland, taking into account the new rules to make up for the volumes at the expense of transit. The main thing is to make it clear and comprehensible. Given various problems, the Poles are willing to go into detail. Within a week, we will model them, record them, and they will be working," Solsky said.
In his view, businesses should take into account the difficulties that will be observed during the current week. During this period, the authorities intend to coordinate technical issues with businesses and agricultural carriers, who deal with the transit market, as well as to hold working phone conversations with the Polish side. Negotiations on the Polish border will take place on Friday, after which new rules are expected to be set, which "will bring a fresh impetus to exports."
The minister said that Poland had the most acute situation (with agricultural exports from Ukraine) of all European countries with which Ukraine shares a border. "A significant part [of exports] did not go through transit, but remained in this country. This is true," Solsky said.
He affirmed that Ukraine had substantially increased its exports to European countries, with which it is constantly in touch unofficially. At the same time, as the agrarian policy minister said, the Ukrainian authorities are monitoring the situation at the borders daily and, if required, are willing to negotiate with representatives of other countries.
As reported, in order to solve the problem of overstocking the Polish market and protests of Polish farmers, Ukraine temporarily refused to export wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds to that country until the new season. The two countries will jointly elaborate new transit rules this week. Ukrainian exporters are recommended to use other routes for this period.