Robert Telus announced the Polish government’s position at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Cordoba, Spain, on Tuesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
On the sidelines of the get-together, ministers from five of Ukraine’s EU neighbours, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, held talks on the issue of the import of Ukrainian grain, according to officials.
Afterwards, Telus told reporters: “We discussed ways to fight for the interests of farmers in our countries, and in all of the EU.”
He said Poland was in favour of extending the EU ban on the import of Ukrainian grain to the five EU neighbours beyond September 15, and added: “The Polish government has proposed to extend the list of banned products to include raspberries and honey, for instance.”
The Polish agriculture minister said the five EU members “support the transit of Ukrainian grain and call on the EU to support it financially.” He added that this would be in the interests of the entire bloc.
Telus told reporters he had also held a number of bilateral meetings, including with his French counterpart, about "the need to extend the embargo" on grain from Ukraine.
He added: “EU ministers realise that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is weaponising food. But the final decision rests with the president of the European Commission.”
Telus declared that the Polish government would protect the interests of domestic farmers.
“We won’t allow the import of grain from Ukraine to Poland,” he stated.
The EU’s executive Commission in May introduced a ban on the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed, sunflower and sunflower oil from Ukraine to Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, based on an agreement with these five countries, the PAP news agency reported.
The embargo was initially effective until June 5, and later extended until September 15.
Meanwhile, the transit of Ukrainian grain through the five countries “near the frontline” remains allowed.
In July, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that his country would not open its borders to Ukrainian grain when the European Union ban expires on September 15.
Telus said at the time that Ukraine’s five EU neighbours wanted the embargo to be extended at least until the end of the year, the PAP news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP
