Bulgaria supports resumption of Ukrainian grain exports after September 15

Bulgaria has supported the resumption of Ukrainian agricultural exports after September 15. The decision was made by the Parliament.

This was announced by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk. They thanked the Bulgarian parliament for its support.

“I thank the Bulgarian parliament, government, and Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov for supporting the Ukrainian people and the ways of solidarity,” Shmyhal wrote on social media site X.

Earlier, Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus named Bulgaria among those countries that supported the extension of the export ban on Ukrainian grain. In addition to Bulgaria and Poland, Telus said, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia supported this.

In May, the European Union allowed Ukraine’s five neighbors to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds, while allowing the transit of such goods for export to other countries. The ban is set to expire on September 15.

The ban on imports of Ukrainian grain was prompted by protests from farmers in neighboring countries, who complained that much cheaper Ukrainian grain was reducing demand for their own products.

The need for land-based grain exports arose because of the threat to sea routes caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine. The issue of export routes is especially acute now that Russia has unilaterally terminated the grain agreement and is deliberately destroying port infrastructure and grain storage facilities in Odesa region.

Tags: Bulgaria, export, grain, restrictions, Ukraine