By KYIV. Nov 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Business representatives, who are suffering losses due to the blockade of three crossing points on the Ukrainian-Polish borders, could address the Polish government with a suggestion to disperse the blockade by force with the help of the police and border guard service, Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine Serhiy Derkach has said during a meeting with carriers on Thursday.
“What solution we can see? The solution that should be applied today […] is to push back the protesters from the border by force. Because this [blocking of the border] is prohibited in principle by all agreements. And let the vehicle move. And after that we could deal with the issue of the protest, the protesters’ demands… However, this can be done exclusively by efforts of law enforces, for example, the police and the border guard service,” he said and called on the participants of the meeting to contact their counterparties in Poland and ask them to send relevant addresses to the Polish government in order to help unblock the border.
According to Derkach, the situation remains critical: two checkpoints, Yahodyn-Dorohusk and Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne, remain blockedin both directions, and 20-30 vehicles per day cross the Krakovets-Korczowa checkpoint, where the protesters allow humanitarian freights to cross the border.
“This is in fact nothing in comparison to the indices we should be having,” he said.
The deputy minister emphasized that the ministry has not received any official demands from the Polish carriers who are blocking the checkpoints.
“All of the statements and demands voiced by them in public were addressed to the Polish government, and not Ukraine. We, for our part, did not receive any specific demands, which the Ukrainian side could carry out so that the Polish carriers could stop the blockade, either from the Polish carriers or from the government of Poland,” Derkach said.
He also said that work continues with the Infrastructure Ministry of Poland and the European Commission, efforts are directed at eliminating any obstacles for the movement of trucks between Ukraine and Poland.
“Three rounds of negotiations have been held with the European Commission. All issues that concern Ukraine were raised, including the issue of violations of international agreements. As of yesterday [November 8], the European Commission has not received any official information from the Polish government about the situation on the border and about the measures taken by the Polish government to resolve the situation,” Derkach said.
According to him, the Consulate and the Embassy of Poland in Ukraine are addressing the issue of providing everything necessary to drivers who remain on the road in Poland due to the blockade.
“On the Ukrainian side, thanks to the e-Cherha system, there are no physical queues on the road in front of the checkpoints. On the Polish side, we know the information, we see these kilometer-long queues that arose as a result of the blockade. Our colleagues from the Consulate and the Embassy of Ukraine in Poland are negotiating with Polish colleagues to provide Ukrainian drivers who are stuck on the road due to the blockade with everything they need,” Derkach said.
According to him, the Embassy of Ukraine in Poland said today there will be a meeting between Polish Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Rafał Weber and participants in the blockade in Lublin, after which he will have brief negotiations with Derkach.
