Ukraine plans to develop the Open Border project at border crossings with Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova.
“We are also implementing similar projects to increase capacity at the borders with other Western neighbors. We are already negotiating to join the Open Border of Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova,” Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov was quoted as saying in a Facebook post on Monday.
As reported earlier, Ukraine and Poland doubled the throughput at the Krakovets-Korcheva checkpoint modernized as part of the Open Border project.
A conference in support of Ukraine will be held in Slovakia in early June under the auspices of GLOBSEC, President of the organization Róbert Vass (Slovakia) said.
“GLOBSEC is preparing a large conference in Bratislava for June 2 to June 4 to mobilize military, humanitarian, economic and financial support for Ukraine, where prime ministers, presidents are invited and offered Ukraine the chairmanship of the event,” the Verkhovna Rada said on its website on Friday, citing the words Vass at the meeting of the delegation of parliamentarians of the EU Member States (GLOBSEC) with heads of the Verkhovna Rada committees and First Deputy Chairman Oleksandr Korniyenko.
Vass said that an international group of European parliamentarians, created under the auspices of GLOBSEC, came to Kyiv to support Ukraine in its struggle for sovereignty and independence.
Vass said Ukrainians are not just fighting for its soil, but also for Europe. These are the fundamental foundations of international law, so it is GLOBSEC moral duty to help Ukraine so that Ukrainians are not alone in this struggle. Today, the future of the West is determined in the East. Ukraine has shown that its place is in Europe, in the world of Euro-Atlantic values. GLOBSEC will help in Ukraine’s official accession to Europe, the president of the organization said.
Kornyienko urged European colleagues to involve their parliaments and governments in the restoration of Ukraine, to become partners of Ukrainian regions and cities.
“We heard your message about the conference and our participation in it. We will form both government and parliamentary delegations at the highest level in order to substantively discuss all issues, in particular, specific restoration projects,” Kornienko said.
A delegation of European parliamentarians, together with MPs of Ukraine, visited Bucha and Borodianka destroyed by the Russian Nazis in Kyiv region.
GLOBSEC is an analytical center in Central Europe and organizer of the annual Bratislava Forum.
Slovakia will continue to pay for Russian gas in euros in accordance with the agreed rules, Slovak Prime Minister Edward Heger said.
“The company Slovensky plynarensky priemysel (Slovak gas industry) has signed a long-term contract with the Russian Gazprom and payments for the purchased gas will be made in euros in accordance with the agreed rules and recommendations of the European Commission,” Heger wrote on the social network.
Slovensky plynarensky priemysel is the largest oil refinery in the country.
The Prime Minister also announced on Twitter (SPB: TWTR) that Slovakia, together with the EU, will accelerate the move away from gas dependence on Russia.
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Germany and Hungary have introduced permit-free travel for humanitarian cargo carriers to Ukraine, according to the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine.
The matter concerns the release of carriers from any additional conditions, in particular the need to obtain permits for international freight traffic. This is necessary for the prompt delivery of humanitarian cargo during martial law.
To cross the border with Lithuania, Latvia and Slovakia, you do not need to submit information about the carrier and vehicle.
“We thank our European partners for their support. The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine continues to work with foreign partners in order to speed up the process of transporting humanitarian cargo in an extremely difficult period for Ukraine,” the ministry stressed.
CARRIERS, GERMANY, HUMANITARIAN AID, HUNGARY, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, POLAND, SLOVAKIA, TRAVEL
From February 4, 2022, upon arrival in Slovakia, for fully vaccinated persons, as well as for persons who have overcome the disease, home quarantine upon arrival in Slovakia is not mandatory, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has said. “From February 4, 2022, upon arrival in Slovakia, persons who have overcome COVID-19 more than 180 days ago have the same conditions as those vaccinated. That is, for fully vaccinated persons, as well as for persons who have overcome the disease, home quarantine upon arrival in Slovakia is not mandatory,” the service said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.
Previously, people who had the disease were required to go into quarantine. Those who were vaccinated and survived the disease were required to register in the eHranica system.
For now, eHranice registration remains mandatory for unvaccinated individuals after each arrival in Slovakia.
“As for the quarantine for the unvaccinated, it is reduced from ten to five days after arrival in Slovakia, or quarantine is terminated after receiving a negative PCR test result, which can be done immediately after arrival in Slovakia,” the service said.
The service also said that under the rules adopted by the European Commission, for travelers with COVID-19 vaccination certificates, from now on, for EU countries, the vaccination certificate will be valid for travel for nine months. Given this decision, Slovakia has canceled the list of risk countries associated with the omicron coronavirus strain and the special conditions for persons arriving from risk countries.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok will together visit Ukraine on February 7-8 on the invitation of their Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
The first ever visit by the foreign ministers of the Slavkov or Austerlitz format to Kyiv is to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s press service said in a statement.
Kuleba and his Czech, Slovak and Austrian counterparts will hold talks with key agenda items such as “further support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression, the implementation of a comprehensive containment package for the Russian Federation, strengthening security cooperation, supporting the economic and financial stability of our state,” it said.
The Slavkov format ministers are also planning to visit the zone of Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation to familiarize themselves with the current situation, Kyiv said.
