A deal to expedite grain exports has been reached between Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania
Officials say Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania have agreed on a plan they hope will help expedite Ukrainian grain exports
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania have agreed on a plan they hope will help expedite Ukrainian grain exports, officials said Tuesday, with needy countries beyond Europe potentially benefitting from speedier procedures.
The deal means that grain inspections will shift from the Ukraine-Poland border to a Lithuanian port on the Baltic Sea, according to a statement from the Ukrainian farm ministry.
The move seeks to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian exports through Polish territory, the statement said, without providing further details.
From the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda, where the inspections for pests and plant diseases will take place from Wednesday, the grain can be exported by sea around the world.
While the stated goal is to hasten Ukrainian grain exports, the agreement may also help defuse tensions over grain prices between Ukraine and Poland a time when some international support for Kyiv's efforts to throw back Russia's invasion may be fraying.
Agricultural exports have brought one of the biggest threats to European unity for Ukraine since Russia invaded.
Russia dealt a huge blow by withdrawing in July from a wartime agreement that ensured safe passage for Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. That has left more expensive overland routes through Europe as the main path for Ukraine’s exports.
Farmers in nearby countries have been upset that Ukraine’s food products have flooded their local markets, pushing prices down and hurting their livelihoods. Sealed freight has helped combat that problem, and sending Ukrainian grain straight to the Lithuanian port may also be an answer.
Poland,
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