Ukraine and Warsaw discuss Ukrainian grain transit

MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax) - The transit of Ukrainian agricultural products via Poland and the issue of agricultural exports from Ukraine in general in light of the European Commission's decision were discussed by Ukrainian Agrarian Policy Minister Nikolai Solsky and Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus during an online meeting.

Telus said that the solidarity lanes, set up to facilitate transit shipments of Ukrainian goods, are still not functioning properly, causing some of Ukrainian exports to end up on the Polish market, Ukrainian media said, citing the website of Poland's Agriculture Ministry.

All transit shipments of Ukrainian agricultural products must be controlled and properly monitored in order to ensure the safety of foodstuffs and to protect consumers' rights, Telus said.

Solsky, for his part, said that he treats the Polish side's measures with understanding, but added that large quantities of Ukrainian goods that were supposed to transit Poland from May 2, 2023 remain stranded on the Ukrainian-Polish border.

"The Polish side provided all necessary clarifications. It also expressed hope for further productive cooperation with partners from Ukraine," the press release said, without providing further details.

Poland's Agriculture Ministry also said that in 2022 it recorded a 16% increase in Polish agricultural exports to the Ukrainian market - from 811.5 million euros to 945.3 million euros. The largest exports were cheese, cottage cheese, products that are used as animal feed, and coffee.

The Ukrainian Agrarian Policy Ministry, for its part, reported only the fact of talks, but did not offer any other information in its press release.

As reported, Poland imposed a unilateral ban on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine on April 15 in violation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. On April 21, Poland permitted transit shipments of such products to continue, but under tougher rules.

According to Ukrainian companies, the new measures adopted by Poland have sharply reduced transit capacity, causing queues on the border to grow.

The European Commission banned the import of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia from May 2 to June 5, but demanded these countries' unilateral measures, which had been imposed by Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria, among others, be lifted.

The import of all Ukrainian products, including wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed, to the rest of the EU shall continue without restrictions, the European Commission said.

The ban shall not apply to contracts signed prior to its introduction, it said.