Agroprosperis agricultural group has supplied 17 thousand tons of agricultural products to Italy and Spain through the ports of Croatia since the beginning of 2023, the press service of the agricultural holding reported.
“In the first weeks of September of this year, Ukrainian and world media were abuzz with the news that Ukraine started exporting grain through the seaports of Croatia. “Agroprosperis is among the domestic exporters who were the first to use this route this year. It has become an important step in the expansion of Ukrainian agro-logistics against the background of the aggressor’s blockade of the grain corridor from the deep-water ports of the Black Sea,” the company’s website reported.
The agroholding noted that it was familiar with this export channel and had used it in previous years. During 2021-2022, the agroholding shipped 4,000 tons of GMO-free soybeans to Italy through Croatian ports for export. Since the beginning of the 2023-2024 marketing year, 6 thousand tons of corn were shipped to Italy and 11 thousand tons of wheat to Spain.
Currently, Agroprosperis is implementing a program of accumulation of wheat and soybeans for customers in Egypt and Europe.
According to the report, the structural subdivisions of the agroholding continue production of agricultural products and their export through alternative logistic routes. Agroprosperis noted the selfless work of its subdivisions in Sumy and Chernihiv regions, which grow, take care of crops and harvest crops under shelling.
In addition, the Agroprosperis Charitable Foundation is also active, providing direct assistance to 2,400 war victims totaling more than UAH 30 million.
Before the Russian military invasion, Agroprosperis had a land bank of 430 thousand hectares and total storage capacity of 800 thousand tons of crops. The holding grew and exported more than 2 million tons of grain and oilseeds per year.
“Agroprosperis operates through five divisions: Golden Sunrise (Agro), Bio Agro, Ray Agro, Latagro, New Agro Management, and provides financing to Ukrainian grain producers through Agroprosperis Bank.
The Croatian government at a meeting on Monday donated EUR1 million to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to help farmers and food producers from Ukraine resume operations in regions most affected by explosive remnants of war.
According to the WFP website on Monday, the agreement was signed by Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman and Matthew Hollingworth, acting UN Humanitarian Aid Coordinator in Ukraine, in the presence of Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Sviridenko.
“The project aims to survey productive agricultural land for mines and other explosives, clear them where necessary and release them safely to restore food production and support the livelihoods of rural communities. The project will also support farmers in rehabilitating soils and restoring their agricultural production once the land has been declared safe,” the report said.
Work is already underway in Kharkiv Oblast and is planned for Mykolaiv and Kherson Oblasts. The project has been developed and is being implemented in close cooperation with the Ukrainian government as well as local authorities.
“The Government of Ukraine has identified demining as one of the five key priorities for the rapid recovery of the country as it relates to the safety of people, restoring fully functioning agricultural enterprises and establishing food supply chains… We are actively working with our international partners to launch the humanitarian demining market in Ukraine, procure specialized equipment, train deminers, certify private demining operators, establish a local
According to her, the funds raised under a joint memorandum with Croatia and UN partners “will be used to survey and clean up contaminated land, which potentially amounts to 174,000 square kilometers in Ukraine.”
“During our meeting, we emphasized the critical importance of demining for the resumption of economic and social activities in Ukraine. Realizing the urgent need to address mines and explosive remnants of war, we reiterate our commitment to work hand in hand to bring about positive change in the affected regions,” said Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordoni Hirlićem-Radman.
Hollingworth, for his part, noted Croatia’s experience in conducting successful large-scale demining operations, which “makes it a recognized leader in humanitarian demining and an invaluable partner in helping to free up land for Ukrainian farmers who desperately want to resume work and feed their families and communities.”
Croatia will host the International Donor Conference on Humanitarian Demining in Ukraine on October 11 and 12 in Zagreb. The conference will provide a platform to mobilize additional international support and resources for demining initiatives in Ukraine.
The European Union (EU) and Ukraine need to find a solution that would allow Ukrainian farmers to work, exporting grain to the EU in the volumes they need, Croatian Minister of Agriculture Marija Vučković said at an online meeting with Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy Mykola Solsky on Tuesday.
Vučković is confident that the restrictions on the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to Europe, which were introduced by the European Commission until June 5, should not be extended after this date, the press service of Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food said.
Solsky, in turn, thanked his colleague for understanding. He also said that Croatia became one of the signatories of the letter of the European Commission sent by the relevant ministers of 14 states of the European Union. In this appeal, they expressed concern about the temporary ban on importing Ukrainian agricultural products to five states of the European Union.
Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob have arrived in Kiev, where they will participate in a summit to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Buča. Slovak Prime Minister Heger arrived in Ukraine on Friday and will meet with President Vladimir Zelenski, the Slovakian news agency TASR reported.
Along with Heger, Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nagy arrived in Ukraine. The time and place of the meeting are not disclosed in advance for security reasons.
According to Heger, Zelenski invited him to visit Ukraine in a telephone conversation after Slovakia approved the transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
For his part, Nagy is scheduled to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Alexey Reznikov during the day.
In addition, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic arrived in Kyiv on Friday morning. He is scheduled to meet with Zelensky, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk. Also with the Croatian prime minister arrived Minister of Veterans Affairs Tomo Medved.
According to the Croatian government’s website, together with Zelenski, Heger, Golob and Moldovan President Maia Sandu, they will take part in a summit on “Bucha – Russian Responsibility for Crimes in Ukraine” in Kiev to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Bucha (Kiev region). A joint press conference will follow.
This is Plenkovic’s second visit to Ukraine since the Russian aggression began on February 24, 2022. Last May, he met with the Ukrainian leadership in Kiev and visited Irpen and Bucha.
The Slovenian newspaper Delo, for its part, reported on the arrival of Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob in Kiev on Friday. He also intends to meet with Zelenskyy.
For the Slovenian prime minister, this is his first visit to Ukraine since coming to power. His goal is to reaffirm his support for Ukraine, which has been a victim of Russian aggression since last February.
Golob will also be received by Shmygal and Stefančuk .
People checks at internal land and sea borders between Croatia and other Schengen zone countries will be abolished from January 1, 2023, according to an EU Council decision of December 8, 2022.
Checks at internal air borders will be abolished from March 26, 2023, given the need to coordinate with International Air Transport Association (IATA) timetable dates, Brussels explained the decision, under which Croatia became the 27th member of the Schengen area and its rules now apply to the country.
“I am very pleased that during the Czech Presidency (of the EU Council in the second half of 2022 – IF-U) Croatia was able to take two important steps in its European integration by joining both the euro area and the Schengen area. I am confident that these successes will pave the way for other member states that fulfill the conditions to take the next step in their European advancement,” said Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakušan, announcing the EU Council decision.
At the same time, the applications of Bulgaria and Romania to join the free movement zone remained unsatisfied.
Commenting on this situation, the Czech Interior Minister assured: “Both I and my colleagues will continue to work hard so that we can welcome Bulgaria and Romania to the family of the Schengen area in the near future.
According to Western media reports, Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen zone was opposed by Austria and the Netherlands, and Romania’s accession was opposed by Austria.
Agreement on the gradual abandonment of border control was signed June 14, 1985 in the Luxembourg village of Schengen, where the borders of Luxembourg, France and Germany, the representatives of five countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France and Germany. The Schengen area began its existence on March 26, 1995 when border and customs controls were abolished at the internal borders of these countries which had by then been joined also by Spain and Portugal.
Due to the further increase in the number of Schengen countries, the agreement with its legal framework was included from 1999 into the unified community legislation (Treaty of Amsterdam). After Croatia joined the Schengen Area, there are 23 EU states and four European Free Trade Association countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
De facto, without the conclusion of formal agreements, the dwarf states of Vatican City, Monaco and San Marino joined the Schengen rules.
Croatia became the 27th member of the Schengen Area on Thursday following a decision in Brussels by the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, French newspaper Le Figaro announced.
The decision, the newspaper reported, citing the Czech presidency of the EU Council, will take effect on January 1, 2023.
At the same time, the media noted, the application of Bulgaria and Romania to join the free movement zone still remained unsatisfied.
The Schengen zone began its existence in March 1995, when border controls were abolished at the internal borders between the seven states: Belgium, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and France.
