Romania explains why it did not ban imports of Ukrainian grain

Neighboring Romania treated Ukraine very friendly. The country did not impose a unilateral ban on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products, as it believes that it is necessary to help Ukraine until the end of the war.

The Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Colaku, said this in an interview with Digi24.ro.

According to the Romanian Prime Minister, Ukraine should be helped until it wins the war against Russia, and facilitating the transit of grain is part of this help. Therefore, Čolaku emphasized, that his country did not act like Poland.

After consultations with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis Čolaku, he allowed the option of licensing the export and import of Ukrainian agricultural products.

"Thanks to the dialogue, we found this licensing system for exports from Ukraine so that farmers are protected, but we didn't come up with a ban because that would signal that we don't want to help Ukraine, which is not true," he said.

As previously reported, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia asked Ukraine to withdraw its complaint to the World Trade Organization due to the ban on the import of agricultural products.

Ukraine is gradually "removing emotions" from the topic of grain exports and is starting "quite constructive" work with partners. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in his address on Monday, September 25.

He reported that he held a meeting with government officials and the President's Office regarding Ukraine's grain export: "They coordinated further steps and recorded the achieved results."

The President emphasized that the European Commission supported the roadmap for mutual monitoring of grain exports.

"We are gradually removing emotions from this topic. Work with neighbors can and must become quite constructive, and Ukraine is doing everything for this," he said.

Zelenskyy also expressed his gratitude to Ukraine's partners, who did not allow violations of EU trade rules and the Association Agreement.

"We expect the same constructive joint work as with Bulgaria and Romania from other neighboring countries. The European Union is a space for mutual understanding and cooperation. That's how it should be," he noted.

We will remind, that on September 15, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary unilaterally introduced a national ban on the import of agricultural goods from Ukraine.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 28/09/2023