The Slovak Minister of Agriculture, Josez Bires, has reached an agreement with his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykola Solskyi, to market Ukrainian cereals through a system based on the issuance and control of licenses, the Ministry of Agriculture reported this Thursday in Bratislava.
Until the effectiveness of the new system is proven, Slovakia will maintain its unilateral import ban on corn, wheat, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from Ukraine until the end of 2023.
The Kiev Executive undertakes, immediately, to withdraw its complaint against Slovakia before the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as the ban on imports of Slovak food into Ukraine, the Slovak ministry assured.
“Minister Solskyi promised that he will withdraw his complaint from the same day, September 20 (when the negotiation between the ministries took place),” the spokesperson added.
Ukraine maintains a similar dispute with Poland and Hungary, countries that wish to protect their agricultural sector with unilateral bans on the transit of Ukrainian grains through their territories, fearing that part of these quotas will remain in their countries and thus affect local prices.