All checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border were unblocked on Sunday night, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solsky said.
“We express our gratitude to the Polish Ministry for their constructive work on unblocking the border, as well as to the industry associations of both countries. The ongoing negotiations were not easy, but the main thing is that we have a result,” the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy quoted him as saying at the online talks on Monday.
According to the report, negotiations between the ministries and associations will continue. The parties agreed to exchange monthly figures on the transit of agricultural products to monitor the situation.
The next meeting of the agriculture ministers of Ukraine and Poland is scheduled for May 7. They will discuss the terms of cooperation between the agricultural sectors of the two countries in the summer.
Polish farmers have resumed blocking the Korchova-Krakovets and Medyka-Shehyni checkpoints, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported on its Telegram channel on Thursday morning.
“The protesters on the territory of Poland took such actions today after 09:00. In the direction of the Krakovets checkpoint, the movement of trucks heading towards Ukraine is restricted, and in the direction of Shehyni – both exiting and entering Poland. According to available information, the protesters plan to block traffic in Krakowiec until 9:00 a.m. on April 20, and in Shehynia until 9:00 a.m. on April 19,” the statement said.
According to the border guard agency, on Thursday morning, about 1,500 trucks are waiting in queues in Poland in these directions to cross into Ukraine. No complications are expected for the movement of cars and buses.
Free Wi-Fi will appear at checkpoints on the western border, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said.
“The secure network can already be used by travelers who cross “Shehyni”. Before the end of April, Wi-Fi zones will appear in more checkpoints “Krakivets”, “Rava-Russkaya”, “Yagodin”, “Porubnoe”, “Krasnoilsk” and “Dyakivtsy”, – said in a message of the State Border Service of Ukraine in Telegram-channel on Wednesday.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine warns of possible technical interruptions in the work of checkpoints on the border with Poland, Slovakia and Hungary on March 7 from 8:00 to 22:00.
“On March 7, 2023 from 8:00 to 22:00 there may be technical interruptions in the passage of passengers at the border. Information systems used in border control at external borders will be updated,” such announcement was posted on the official page of the State Border Service on Monday with a request to take this information into account when planning a trip.
Interruptions are possible in the work of checkpoints on the border with the European Union and Moldova, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has warned.
“Due to enemy shelling and damage to critical infrastructure facilities in western Ukraine, there may be interruptions in the operation of checkpoints on the border with the EU and Moldova,” the State Border Guard Service said in the Telegram channel on Monday.
Truck drivers blocked the road at the Polish checkpoint Yagodin-Dorogusk and went on strike demanding to improve the work of the Polish phytosanitary and veterinary control, said Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Mustafa Nayem.
“Polish drivers put forward three demands: speed up phytosanitary and veterinary control and transfer the service to a round-the-clock mode of operation,” he wrote on Facebook on Monday.
According to Nayem, every hour drivers let 2 cars pass: 1 with goods and 1 empty.
He clarified that 2,650 trucks are now waiting on the border with Poland in front of the Yagodin checkpoint to leave Poland, while 300 trucks are waiting to enter Ukraine. At the same time, the line for the last day has increased by 8 km and reaches 53 km.
Naem stressed that the cause of the strike was the indifference of the Polish authorities and the pretense that “nothing is happening.”
According to the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, before the war, up to 80 trucks per day passed control, and in recent days – from 12 to 25.
“If there are objective reasons for such a slowdown, then we are ready to do everything in our power to speed up the process and increase the throughput of the checkpoint. But at the same time, we expect the same progress from all services on the Polish side,” Nayem said.
He added that the striking Polish drivers also want empty vehicles to leave Ukraine for Poland out of turn.
At the same time, the Deputy Minister stressed, it is also extremely important for Ukraine that goods leave the country for export as soon as possible.
“We have to export our products. Our carriers have to cross the border in a normal time. Because when they wait 7-10 days in line, they lose about 400 euros per car every day. In a week in line, the carrier loses more than just money , but any point in working at all,” Nayem said.
According to him, the problem of many days of idle time of carriers at the entrance to Poland should be solved by the establishment of round-the-clock phytosanitary and veterinary control.
In addition, the Deputy Minister stressed that there is no talk of abolishing the “transport visa-free regime”. “Most likely, this is a political demand of Polish carriers. The goal is to put additional pressure on the Polish government to solve the above problems,” Nayem said.
The day before, he said that the Ukrainian side repeatedly, at many closed, open, joint and bilateral meetings offered the Polish side a simple solution – to increase the number of employees of phytosanitary and veterinary services, to provide Ukrainian experts who would help Polish colleagues, or to remove this control beyond the points passes inland. However, the situation is only getting worse.
