Lithuania proposes to strengthen the transport route between Ukraine and the Baltic States as an alternative to exporting Ukrainian grain and other food products. This is stated in a joint official letter to the leadership of the European Union and the European Commission, signed by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Communications Marius Kuodis and Minister of Agriculture Kęstutis Navickas, the press service of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reports.
According to the letter, Russia’s decision to suspend the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the shelling of ports in Odesa region worsen the already difficult situation with food security in the world.
The ministers noted that the Baltic Sea Road, a transport route between Ukraine and the Baltic States, could become a promising and long-term alternative for Ukrainian grain exports. Improving the corridor’s infrastructure and facilitating cargo handling between different railways will help increase transport capacity.
In addition, with simplified administrative procedures on the Polish-Ukrainian border, the introduction of green lanes, and the transfer of customs procedures to Baltic ports, several times more agricultural products from Ukraine could be transported by road and rail.
“The infrastructure of the Baltic States could become a promising and reliable transit route for Ukrainian products. The seaports of the Baltic countries have a large throughput capacity of agricultural products – up to 25 million tonnes per year for grain alone,” the letter says.
In the letter, the ministers invited the European Commission to actively cooperate with all EU member states to ensure the transit of Ukrainian products and to assess specific measures proposed by Lithuania to strengthen the alternative route of the Baltic Sea Route.
Source: Apkinform