Ukrainian, Polish dairy associations call for unblocking border crossings between 2 countries

MOSCOW. Nov 23 (Interfax) - Ukraine's Union of Dairy Enterprises and the Polish Chamber of Milk have called on the governments of both countries to create conditions to avert blockages of the two countries' border.

"The governments of both countries should take the initiative and responsibility for creating conditions that would make such destructive situations impossible. If such situations do occur, the governments should promptly take all necessary measures to resolve them," Ukrainian media quoted the two dairy associations as saying in a statement, which was published on the website of the Ukrainian Union of Dairy Enterprises on Wednesday.

The blocking of transport on the border by some Polish organizations jeopardizes full-fledged trade relations between Ukraine and Poland, they said.

The Ukrainian organization and the Polish Chamber of Milk emphasized the unacceptability of extreme measures, saying that if such measures become systemic, they start to pose a threat to the development of Ukrainian and Polish companies.

The appeal also cites data from the State Customs Service of Ukraine that shows that Poland exported goods worth nearly 5.5 billion euros to Ukraine in January-October 2023, including dairy products for 160 million euros. Meanwhile, Ukraine's dairy exports to Poland totaled 77 million euros.

Maintaining full-fledged trade relations between Ukraine and Poland is equally important to entrepreneurs in both countries, the organizations said.

Ukrainian State Border Service spokesperson Andrei Demchenko said that some 2,700 trucks were waiting at the Yagodin-Dorohusk, Krakovets-Korczowa, and Rava Ruska-Hrebenne checkpoints to cross the Ukrainian-Polish border as of the morning of November 22.