Poland says open to Ukraine grain proposals ahead of talks

Poland’s agriculture minister said on Wednesday that his country remained open to a Ukrainian proposal for a grain import licensing system, adding that the thorny issue would be discussed in the coming weeks.

Kyiv has suggested issuing licences to exporters of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflowers in line with Poland’s needs, Robert Telus said, after a video meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart.

“It’s a question that we have to examine, but from the outside the proposal seems like a good thing,” he said.

Ukraine’s grain exports are meant to be transiting through the European Union to Africa and the Middle East in particular, since the war-torn nation’s traditional Black Sea routes were blocked by Russia’s invasion.

But because of logistical issues, grain had been piling up in central Europe and driving down local prices, prompting several countries to declare an embargo on imports which was temporarily approved by Brussels.

Along with Hungary and Slovakia, Poland said on September 15 that it would extend its embargo, going against a European Commission decision to end the restrictions.

Tags: wheat, Middle East, rapeseed, Ukraine, Africa, exports, sunflowers, импорт, licences, corn, grain, prices, Poland, European Union