RT.com
20 Sep 2023, 06:14 GMT+10
Agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski says the bloc will take appropriate measures in response to Kiev's WTO complaint
European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski has said he was surprised by Ukraine's decision to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The three EU states broke ranks with Brussels by refusing to lift embargoes on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products.
"I was quite surprised that Ukraine chose this path, given the enormous efforts that the Member States have made so far," said Wojciechowski, speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Monday.
He said that it would be "very easy" to show that Kiev had not suffered any damage to its grain export volumes, adding that despite the embargo by the three EU states, Ukraine's grain shipments have increased.
Nevertheless, the commissioner stressed that he hopes the EU and Ukraine will be able to resolve the issue "through dialogue and mutual agreement" and that he remains "optimistic" that such dialogue will take place. He also noted that Brussels does not currently intend to introduce any sanctions against the countries that have retained import bans on Ukrainian grain.
Wojciechowski's comments come after Kiev announced on Monday that it will sue Poland, Hungary and Slovakia in the WTO over their unilateral grain bans, and in turn, will consider retaliatory trade restrictions.
The three countries chose to keep their embargoes in place despite Brussels opting to lift restrictions on Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower shipments last week. Officials in Budapest, Warsaw and Bratislava have argued that cheap Ukrainian agricultural products undercut domestic prices and threaten the livelihoods of local farmers.
Kiev, however, has warned that it will sue any EU country that decides to ban its grain in contravention of decisions made in Brussels. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has stressed that it is "important to make sure European unity works on a bilateral level" and that "neighbors support Ukraine" in the conflict with Russia.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Hong Kong Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Hong Kong Herald.
More InformationBENTONVILLE, Arkansas: As part of its efforts to reduce reliance on China, cut costs, and diversify its supply chains, Walmart, ...
NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar: Kyar Win, spokesperson for the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, which launched a surprise offensive last month against ...
BEIJING, China: The country's commerce ministry said that during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Ho ...
© Provided by Xinhua From top executives and editors-in-chief to seasoned journalists and media scholars, as well as press officials, ...
© Provided by Xinhua A delegation of China's manned space program are on a six-day visit to Hong Kong and ...
(Photo credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports) Sophia Smith scored early in a rare start at center forward and the U.S. ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: This week, the White House said that Senior Biden administration officials met with the makers of respiratory syncytial ...
CHEYENNE, Wyoming: This week, the Biden administration raised US$3.4 million from a sale of oil and gas drilling rights in ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks extended their rally on Friday despite remarks by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ...
MOSCOW, Russia: Russia's trade in oil with India, one of the most lucrative oil trade routes since the imposition of ...
LONDON - Health experts and tobacco campaigners have strongly criticized New Zealand's decision to repeal laws that aimed to ban ...
NEW YORK, New York - The Dow Jones index was the standout on U.S. financial markets on Thursday with a ...