Ukraine stated on Tuesday it hoped to speed up exports of grain and other agricultural products by moving some border checks to the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda.
Under a wartime agreement reached in Lithuania and Poland, Ukrainian agricultural cargo destined for delivery to the world from Klaipeda no longer undergoes veterinary and sanitary checks at the transit border with Poland.
Instead, mandatory checks will be carried out in Klaipeda, which is located in the Baltic Sea, Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry informs.
After talks with Polish and Lithuanian ministers Robert Telus and Kyastutis Navickas, Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskiy stated:
This will speed up transit through the territory of Poland. Robert Telus and Kyastutis Navickas noted that their governments support such a control mechanism and consider it a constructive step.
However, the deal does not solve the issue of finding alternative export routes, as Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea remain blocked after the outbreak of war last year.
Ukraine, as a major global grain producer and exporter, is heavily dependent on its Black Sea export ports. Kyiv responded to the blockade of Black Sea routes by increasing exports via the Danube River and overland through Poland.
However, the border with that country was blocked, and Russia began launching airstrikes on Ukrainian ports on the Danube.
Kyiv’s relations with Warsaw also soured after Poland banned imports of Ukrainian food products, citing the need to protect its own farmers.
