Ukraine and Moldova agreed to deepen cooperation in the field of food safety, as well as expand the list of permitted commodity items for export to Moldova, in particular, for pigs and composite products.
Relevant agreements were reached during a meeting between the head of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Anatoliy Vovniuk, and Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Ukraine Valeriu Chiveri, according to the website of the Ukrainian department.
According to the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Service, as of today, 18 forms of veterinary certificates for export from Ukraine to Moldova have been agreed between the countries.
“During the Russian military aggression against the Ukrainian people, the support of friendly countries is extremely important for our state,” Vovniuk said.
American businessman and philanthropist Howard Buffett in Kyiv on June 8 met with representatives of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, where the parties discussed issues of food security, assistance to Ukrainian farmers during the future harvest and the sowing campaign of winter crops.
“The first of the world’s largest businessmen to visit Ukraine was Howard Buffett. He was the first to help Ukrainian farmers and households by donating seeds for spring field work through the World Central Kitchen. Howard in Kyiv met with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy,” MP Dmytro Solomchuk said on Telegram.
According to him, thanks to this meeting, “a lot of good news for Ukrainian farmers” will soon appear.
“It is a pleasure to welcome a true friend of Ukraine on our land. We need support today more than ever,” Solomchuk summed up in the message.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that he had met with Buffett.
“Glad to meet Howard Buffett in Kyiv. We appreciate this signal of solidarity with Ukraine. Expressed gratitude for the humanitarian support to Ukraine. Invited him to join projects on restoring irrigation systems in Odesa region, supporting IDPs, demining and school nutrition reform,” the president of Ukraine wrote.
Howard Buffett is the son of Warren Buffett, who is in the top five richest people in the world according to Forbes with a fortune of $118 billion.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will take part in the NATO summit, which will be held in Madrid on June 28-30, Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance Mircea Geoană said in an article in the Italian edition of La Reppublica.
According to him, the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan will speak at the allied summit for the first time.
“The meeting ‘one way or another’ will be attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky,” Geoană was quoted as saying in the article.
He also noted that the summit would be truly transformative.
Turkey does not leave attempts to resume the dialogue between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and also expresses its readiness to provide platforms for these negotiations, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bodnar said.
“Now Turkey does not leave attempts to resume this dialogue, they express their readiness to provide platforms for these negotiations. Today’s meeting (of the Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Russia – IF) was also aimed at finding common ground for continuing these negotiations. What was publicly stated says that they are more focused on the communication of the parties, that there is a readiness for a possible resumption, and for their part they declare their readiness to contribute to this,” Bodnar said at a briefing at the Ukraine media center on Wednesday.
He added that “so far there is no talk of any specific steps towards this, since it should be clear what conditions which side is expressing.”
“Our immediate condition is the withdrawal of Russian troops. Then the negotiations may have a chance of success and end with the signing of a certain document. Otherwise, the so-called theory of “peace in exchange for territories” does not work for us. And the Turkish side understands this very well, at least trying to find out now the position of the Russian side and help in the resumption of this dialogue,” Bodnar said.
Ukraine in May 2022 exported 1.74 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds, as well as agricultural products, by all means of transport, which is 1.8 times more than in April, according to the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
“In May, compared to April 2022, there was a reorientation of export channels: 798,800 tonnes and 22,100 tonnes, respectively, were exported by water transport (river ports and ferry crossings), which made the river ports of Ukraine the main export gates,” said the department.
According to the report, in May, 959,350 tonnes of corn (more by 60% compared to April), 43,500 tonnes (an increase of 4.7 times), 11,600 tonnes of barley (less by 2%), 341,800 tonnes of sunflower seeds (an increase of 3.3 times), 66,620 tonnes of soybeans (more by 17%), and 101,000 tonnes of meal (an increase of 2.6 times) were shipped to foreign markets.
In addition, 202,650 tonnes of sunflower oil (more by 56% compared to April this year) and 16,080 tonnes of soybean oil were delivered to buyers abroad in May, which approximately corresponds to the April figures of 16,380 tonnes.
Due to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and the blockade of its export infrastructure in the Black Sea, the pace of exports of agricultural products is still inferior to the same period in 2021. So, in May 2021, some 2.24 million tonnes of corn, 857,800 tonnes of wheat, 22,000 tonnes of barley, 189,600 tonnes of sunflower seeds, 501,800 tonnes of sunflower oil, 36,180 tonnes of soybeans, 20,600 tonnes of soybean oil and 440,000 tonnes of meal were exported.
According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in May, 709,600 tonnes of export supplies of agricultural products, or 40% of its total exports, were shipped by rail. Some 56% of all exports of soybean oil, 53% of corn, 48% of meal, 39% of barley, 33% of soybeans and 28% of sunflower oil were transported by rail.
In turn, 75% of wheat, 59% of sunflower seeds, 57% of barley, 50% of soybeans and 43% of meal were exported through the river ports of the Danube.
Road transport in May provided 40% of exports of soybean oil, 32% of sunflower oil and 23% of sunflower seeds.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced the need to create a “European preparatory space” (Europäischen Vorbereitungsraum), staying in which will allow Ukraine and Moldova to come closer to EU standards.
According to him, it should be “an intermediate step between cooperation and full accession to the EU.”
“We are united by one goal, we all want a strong, independent and economically successful Ukraine. Currently, Ukraine is fighting for its political and territorial survival. All our efforts are primarily aimed at ending Russia’s aggressive war. At such a stage, rapid full accession to the European Union cannot be a topical issue anyway,” Nehammer said in an interview with Kronen Zeitung.
According to him, it is necessary to “remove emotions from the current debate and apply the same standards that are also used in relation to other applicants from the Western Balkans.”
“In my opinion, the immediate full accession of Ukraine is unrealistic,” the Chancellor said.
Nehammer said he supported French President Emmanuel Macron’s interesting idea of creating a “European Political Community”. “Discussions are largely about either – or. Little attention has been paid to practical options that ensure close ties with the EU in many areas and strengthen the Ukrainian economy. But this is exactly what is needed now,” the Chancellor said.
According to the newspaper, according to the Federal Chancellery, close and gradual cooperation between the EU and Ukraine is possible in various fields, similar to what is envisaged by the French proposals. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and European Minister Caroline Edtstadler have already addressed the EU partners with these proposals.
