Moldova's Agriculture Minister Vladimir Bolea said imposing restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports "would not solve anything," media outlet NewsMaker reported on May 10.
"This would neither increase selling prices for Moldovan farmers nor reduce costs. This solution would give zero results. On the contrary, Ukraine would impose restrictions on the import of Moldovan products, and then much would be lost," Bolea said, as quoted by NewsMaker.
Bolea previously said on May 6 that Moldova’s government was considering joining a month-long EU ban on some Ukrainian grains while allowing their transit.
The European Commission on May 2 banned the import of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds to "alleviate logistical bottlenecks" related to these goods in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia until June 5.
In exchange, these countries pledged to cancel their unilateral limits on these and other Ukrainian products, and they would still be obligated to transport these goods elsewhere.
Large quantities of cheap Ukrainian grain entered Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria, affecting domestic markets and causing an uproar among local farmers.
Ukraine's overload of food exports to the EU has become a thorn in Kyiv's relationship with its close neighbors amid a long-running political conflict between these countries and the European Commission.
Meanwhile, Ukraine announced on May 6 that it would prepare a ban on imports from Moldova in retaliation if the country went forward with the decision.
Moldova's Agriculture Ministry will closely monitor imports in order to take timely measures to support Moldovan farmers, NewsMaker wrote.
Anastasiia Lapatina
(Updated: )
