The commission held consultations in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv on Monday. Poland was represented by Development and Technology Minister Krzysztof Hetman who said that after the meeting in Lviv the commission had discussed “difficult topics related to the trade in agricultural goods, but this was done with extraordinary understanding on both sides.”
“We also talked about possible solutions, which I hope we are very close to achieving, and we will be able to present the results of these talks in the near future,” the minister added.
He further stated that the next meeting of
the intergovernmental commission will be held in Warsaw on March 28.
According to Polish Agriculture Minister Czesław Siekierski, the talks also concerned agricultural markets.
“We want to introduce certain regulations that will limit the inflow of excess Ukrainian goods [to Poland], but also give farmers a chance to lift the protests so that the border crossings can be cleared,” he said.
Poles and Ukrainians can reach an agreement
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, who headed the Ukrainian delegation, said that Monday’s committee meeting was an example of the ability of Poles and Ukrainians to reach an agreement.
“Our committee is an example that we can work effectively, agree and discuss difficult issues,” Vereshchuk said.
Protests on the border
Border blockades have been taking place in Poland since last November starting with Polish hauliers later joined by farmers, who say cheap Ukrainian agricultural produce has damaged local markets. Truck drivers have since
suspended their protest, but farmers’ demonstrations have intensified, with two big protests held in Warsaw recently.
Established in 2005, the Polish-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation has held eight meetings so far.
