Lithuania slams Polish protesters' plan to block border over Ukrainian grain
A road blockade planned by Polish farmers on the Polish-Lithuanian border could violate the EU principle of free movement of goods and people.
Source: Aušrinė Armonaitė, Lithuania's Minister of Economy and Innovation, as reported by Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT
Details: Polish farmers plan to block the road at the Budzisko-Kalvarija border crossing, its checkpoint long since mothballed due to the membership of both nations in the Schengen Area, for a week starting on Friday. They "fear" that some Ukrainian grain imported to Lithuania is being "laundered" and re-exported to Poland.
"The flow of [non-freight vehicles] will not be stopped, as far as I understand, but we are still members of a free European Union where the movement of goods and people alike must be unhindered. Any obstruction of that movement appears potentially to violate free movement," the minister stressed.
Armonaitė noted that lorries at the border will be directed to additional parking areas for inspection, which could cause queues.
Background:
- On Friday, Polish farmers plan to block the checkpoint on the border with Lithuania. They will stop and check all vehicles that may be carrying Ukrainian grain.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Ukraine and Poland were discussing the temporary closure of the border and the suspension of trade.
- In turn, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov denied this information.
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