Polish gov't signs deal with truckers to suspend Ukraine border blockade until March

The Polish government has signed an agreement with transport companies protesting at the border with Ukraine, under which the truckers will suspend their blockade until March, pending implementation of solutions to the standoff.   

Photo:

PAP/Wojtek Jargiło

Poland's Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak announced the deal at a news conference in Warsaw on Tuesday.

He said Polish hauliers had agreed to "suspend their blockade of Poland's Korczowa, Hrebenne and Dorohusk checkpoints with Ukraine, until March," public broadcaster Polish Radio's polskieradio24.pl website reported.

The protest began in early November, with the key demand being that the European Union reinstate permits for Ukrainian transport companies entering the bloc, according to news outlets.

Polish hauliers also want Ukraine to abolish its electronic queue system for trucks, polskieradio24.pl reported.    

Koniec protestu przewoźników. Minister infrastruktury podpisał porozumienie https://t.co/je49AajIib

— Gospodarka - Polskie Radio (@Gospodarka_PRSA) January 16, 2024

They said on Tuesday they would resume the border blockade if a long-term agreement wasn't reached by March 1.

Poland's infrastructure minister stated that the government would work with hauliers' groups, Ukrainian authorities and EU officials to develop "lasting policy solutions for international road transport," polskieradio24.pl reported. 

Source: polskieradio24.pl, PAP, Interia.pl