Romania and Poland lift ban on Ukrainian grain until EU decision
Romania and Poland are allowing Ukrainian food products to pass through their territory until the European Commission decides on the matter.
Bucharest has also called on other countries to lift restrictions after Kyiv promised to implement additional security measures for the transportation of agricultural products.
The first trucks carrying Ukrainian food products, including corn and eggs, transited through Poland to the Netherlands on Friday.
At midnight the provisions lifting the ban which was introduced on 15 April, came into force.
Five Central European countries, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, introduced import bans from Ukraine this week.
They said they did it to protect their farmers who they say have been hit by excess Ukrainian agricultural imports that have lowered prices for local producers.
The European Commission is set to continue talks next week with countries neighbouring Ukraine, which have recently struggled with a flood of grain.
In the meantime, Poland and Romania have agreed to continue to allow grain from Ukraine to enter their countries.
"We are the main solidarity corridor for the Ukrainian grain which we organised, we'll keep it and we (will) maintain it out of respect for the Ukrainian people," explained the Romanian Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea.
"We are in solidarity with farmers from other countries - Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia - as they are in solidarity with us also and with the Ukrainian farmers, but we must make the rules together," added Daea.
The first trucks carrying Ukrainian food products, including corn and eggs, transited through Poland to the Netherlands on Friday.
At midnight the provisions lifting the ban which was introduced on 15 April, came into force.
Five Central European countries, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, introduced import bans from Ukraine this week.
They said they did it to protect their farmers who they say have been hit by excess Ukrainian agricultural imports that have lowered prices for local producers.
The European Commission is set to continue talks next week with countries neighbouring Ukraine, which have recently struggled with a flood of grain.
In the meantime, Poland and Romania have agreed to continue to allow grain from Ukraine to enter their countries.
"We are the main solidarity corridor for the Ukrainian grain which we organised, we'll keep it and we (will) maintain it out of respect for the Ukrainian people," explained the Romanian Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea.
"We are in solidarity with farmers from other countries - Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia - as they are in solidarity with us also and with the Ukrainian farmers, but we must make the rules together," added Daea.