By KYIV. Oct 23 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Agricultural Ministers of Ukraine and Slovakia Mykola Solsky and Jozef Bíreš discussed the mechanism for licensing Ukrainian agricultural products during a meeting of the EU Council on Agriculture and Fisheries, which is being held in Luxembourg on October 23-24, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine reported.
“The parties discussed issues of cooperation in the agricultural sector between Ukraine and Slovakia and the export of agricultural products. In particular, the mechanism for licensing certain types of Ukrainian agricultural products,” the message noted.
Jozef Bíreš reported that the Slovak government is considering the action plan proposed by Ukraine for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. In particular, the technical feasibility of introducing a licensing mechanism is being discussed.
Solsky thanked Bíreš for the support that Slovakia had been providing to Ukraine for two years.
The ministers agreed to coordinate the situation and maintain constructive relations between the countries.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Slovakia on Friday, October 20, summing up Bíreš’ five months as minister, noted that due to the war in Ukraine and the blocking of export routes through the Black Sea, the Slovak market was under threat from the import of cheap Ukrainian grain, and Slovak farmers were at a disadvantage. By the end of 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture of Slovakia will pay emergency support to Slovak wheat producers, for which EUR 15.72 million will be allocated.
Minister Bíreš also participated in the negotiations on a common European solution to ensure that Ukrainian agricultural products do not remain on the Slovak market, as “this leads to the impossibility of selling our domestic goods.”
On his initiative, on September 16, 2023, the Slovak government decided to unilaterally extend the ban on the import of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds to Slovakia.
“The purpose of this ban is to protect our producers. However, the solidarity lane remains open,” the Slovak ministry said and added that the country has begun the process of restoring laboratories at the State Veterinary and Food Authority, where enhanced inspections of agricultural and food products are carried out.
