The three EU countries that have enforced national bans on the export of Ukrainian agricultural products are open to exploring Ukraine's proposed mechanism for joint verification and approval of supplies. Taras Kachka, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine and Trade Representative of Ukraine, made this announcement during a live broadcast of the National Telethon.

"On Monday, we shared our agricultural export control plan with all our neighboring countries. We received a very positive response from Romania and Bulgaria, as they refrained from implementing national bans. The other three countries, including Poland, are also signaling their openness to consider Ukraine's proposed mechanism," Taras Kachka elaborated.

He mentioned that Ukraine has proposed the implementation of a joint verification and approval mechanism for the export of four types of agricultural goods (wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds) to five EU countries.

"This won't completely resolve the issue, as it would signify that trade between Ukraine and these five EU countries is under manual control. However, it's a step in the right direction and a rejection of bans that we find unacceptable in their current form. The Ukrainian proposal has the potential to serve as a foundation for resolving the problem of agricultural exports to these five EU countries. Poland has already expressed its readiness to collaborate on finding a solution. I am confident that by the end of the week, we can achieve a compromise. It's crucial for both Poland and Ukraine to foster cooperation, trade, and agriculture while safeguarding each other's farmers' interests, rather than merely responding to public criticism," Taras Kachka emphasized.

Today, Polish Minister of Agriculture Robert Telus declared the readiness of the Polish government to seek a resolution to the Ukrainian grain issue.

"We are anticipating these negotiations and fully prepared for them," he remarked, emphasizing that Poland is open to discovering a solution that safeguards the Polish market, ensures its protection, and aids Ukraine.

As a reminder, on 15 September 2023, the European Commission declared that, owing to the efforts of the Coordination Platform and temporary measures, market disruptions in the five Member States bordering Ukraine had been resolved. Consequently, the European Commission opted not to extend its ban on importing goods from Ukraine. Simultaneously, it underscored the need for Ukraine to implement measures to avert market distortions in neighboring Member States.

At the same time, on 15 September 2023, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary unilaterally imposed a national ban on imports of agricultural goods from Ukraine. Following this, Ukraine filed a WTO case against these countries.