Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia would like the ban on Ukrainian grain imports to be extended at least until the end of the year, the agriculture ministers of the 5 countries announced on Wednesday after a meeting in Warsaw. They signed a joint statement on the need to extend the EU preventive measures concerning the imports of wheat, maze, rape and sunflower seeds from Ukraine. In the same statement, the signatories also suggest that the list of products subject to the preventive measures remain open. According to a news release issued by the Romanian agriculture ministry, the participants sought a joint approach to the problems facing the farmers in these countries, which will be presented in the forthcoming AgriFish Council meeting. Romania was represented by the agriculture minister Ionut Barbu. Meanwhile, Reuters reports, an official letter from the Ukrainian government says Ukraine is currently working on defining a temporary maritime transport route via Romanian territorial waters, to continue to export grain via Black Sea ports. On Tuesday Russia pulled out of the agreement allowing safe passage to Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea.
