Polish minister says grain talks with Ukraine are on track

Talks with Ukraine about grain imports are on track, the Polish agriculture minister said on Wednesday, after a dispute between the two countries over Warsaw’s decision to extend a ban.

Kyiv’s relations with Warsaw have soured since Poland, along with Hungary and Slovakia, decided to extend the ban that was introduced to protect farmers from a surge in grain and food imports from Ukraine after Russia invaded the country.

The government in Warsaw, which has been one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies, is also under pressure from the far right to take a tougher stance on Ukraine ahead of Oct. 15 elections.

“I am glad that we are talking about the future, that we are building mechanisms for the future and we are calming certain emotions that have not served us well, and this is probably a good direction,” the Polish minister, Robert Telus, said at a news conference after an online meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solsky.

Telus reiterated Warsaw’s demand that Ukraine should withdraw a complaint made against Poland at the World Trade Organisation.

“The Ukrainian minister said he would talk to the economy minister in Ukraine to consider withdrawing this complaint,” Telus said.

He also said that Poland was in the final stages of talks with Lithuania about organising transit of Ukrainian grain to ports there.