Ukrainian ambassador in Warsaw hoping for compromise with Polish carriers

MOSCOW. Nov 3 (Interfax) - Ukraine is hoping for a compromise with Polish carriers, Ukrainian Ambassador in Warsaw Vasily Zvarych said on a telethon broadcast on Friday morning.

"We really hope that it would be possible to come to mutual understanding with Polish carriers. Because everyone - in both Poland and Ukraine, as well as in Europe as we're also raising this questions at the European Union level, understands that such forms of protests as the blocking of the border is detrimental to everyone, both Ukraine and Poland, both Polish and foreign businesses," Ukrainian media outlets quoted him as saying.

All efforts are currently aimed at reaching "certain compromises" with carriers and "explaining that the majority of their demands cannot be fulfilled realistically," the ambassador said.

"It is because they, alternatively, go against the legal framework and our mutual obligations between Ukraine and the EU, for instance, as the proposal to reinstate permits for international motor transportation. As a reminder, the agreement with the EU which abolished such permits on a bilateral basis is still in effect," he said.

Carriers make demands to the Polish authorities, and Ukraine is in contact with Polish agencies and the Lublin and Subcarpathian voivodeships, because they were charged with the negotiation duties, Zvarych said.

"We're acting as partners here. We have received assurances from the Infrastructure Ministry of Poland that it instantly made an urgent request with protesters that they do not block the border," the ambassador said.

Ukraine will keep trying to convince carriers that such methods of blocking the borders are counterproductive, he said. "We believe that common sense will prevail, and Polish carriers will heed to us," Zvarych said.

Igor Overko, head of the Association of International Road Carriers of Ukraine, said earlier that Polish carriers have moved the date of starting to block freight traffic in three checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border from November 3 to November 6.