Poland and Ukraine have reached an agreement on the resumption of the transit of Ukrainian cereals, suspended on Saturday, the Polish Minister of Agriculture said on Tuesday.
“We managed to put in place mechanisms so that not a single ton of wheat will remain in Poland, that the goods will transit through Poland,” Robert Telus said after a meeting with Ukrainian officials. The transit through Poland of Ukrainian cereals should therefore be able to resume in the coming days, according to the two parties.
“We treat the problems of our Polish colleagues with the same care that Poland treats ours. Therefore, we must respond quickly and constructively to this crisis situation,” Ukrainian Economic Development Minister Yulia Svyrydenko told reporters. The transport of Ukrainian cereals via Poland will be monitored in particular by a GPS system, specified the Polish minister.
Poland decided on Saturday to ban imports of grain and other agricultural products from neighboring Ukraine to protect its own farmers, without consulting either Kyiv or the European Commission, exposing itself to criticism from both sides. Ukrainian grain destined for foreign countries transits through the European Union since the traditional export route via the Black Sea was blocked by the Russian invasion.
But, contrary to initial plans for transit only, stocks of grain have been building up in Poland, driving down local prices, leading to protests by farmers and the resignation of Poland’s previous agriculture minister. Hungary and Slovakia have recently taken similar steps.
