Kiev notified of imminent blockage of crossings on Polish-Ukrainian border, preparing for talks with European Commission
MOSCOW. Oct 31 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Ministry for the Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure (Restoration Ministry) has been notified of preparations being made by Polish truckers to block crossings on the Polish-Ukrainian border and has initiated a meeting with Polish and European Commission officials to maintain the border's stable operations.
Ukrainian media reported on Tuesday with reference to Deputy Restoration Minister Sergei Derkach that a meeting with officials from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) is scheduled for Tuesday, October 31. The ministry has also initiated a meeting with Polish Infrastructure Ministry representatives.
The ministry expects to bring up the observance of joint Ukrainian-Polish memorandums for increasing the throughput capacity of border crossings and work out joint decisions to guarantee the border's stable operations, Derkach said on his social account.
The level of implementation of said memorandums signed by Ukraine and Poland decreased to 49.77% in October from 65.81% in September, and the number of vehicles that crossed the Ukrainian-Polish border declined to about 40,100 from 50,730, respectively, he said.
"In the fall, when the sea blockade and seasonality are felt particularly acutely, failure to comply with agreements hurts everyone, foreign truckers as well as Ukrainian ones. In the language of digits, about 40,000 trucks have not crossed the border this month, although they were supposed to as per the indicators endorsed in the memorandums," he said.
The International Transport Association of Ukraine (ITAU) said earlier that, starting November 3, Polish transport operators planned to block the border with Ukraine for two months. According to ITAU, their conditions included reinstating a system of permits for Ukrainian truckers, tightening ECMT rules, creating a separate waiting list for trucks with EU license plates in the e-Cherga electronic system, creating a separate line for empty trucks, and providing access to the Shlyakh system.