Ukraine, Poland to hold meeting on border to unblock checkpoints

On November 13, representatives of the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine (Restoration Ministry) will hold a meeting at the border with representatives of the Polish side to unblock the checkpoints.

According to the ministry, representatives of the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure, voivodeships, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, the Ukrainian Embassy in Poland, and carriers are invited to the meeting, Ukrinform reports.

The Restoration Ministry will be represented by Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach. He said: "It is important to talk to our drivers and carriers who are stuck on the Polish side of the border. We receive various information from social networks, complaints about inadequate conditions and problems with law enforcement agencies, and we will check it on the spot. We will decide how to get the Ukrainians waiting in lines home."

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As per the report, following the talks between Derkach and Rafał Weber, State Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland, the Ukrainian side has already resolved two issues raised by their Polish colleagues. These are the functioning of lanes for empty vehicles directly at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint and the update of the eCherha (eQueue) system functionality - the ability to replace the driver for empty trucks.

At the same time, the Ukrainian side once again suggested that Polish colleagues send empty vehicles through the Uhryniv-Dołhobyczów checkpoint, where there is a lane. Such an option would allow empty trucks to reduce the waiting time for crossing the border, the Restoration Ministry noted.

As reported, on November 6, Polish carriers began a blockade of truck traffic near the three largest checkpoints on the border with Ukraine: Korczowa-Krakivets, Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, and Dorohusk-Yahodyn.

Tomasz Borkowski, the organizer of the protest near the Korczowa-Krakivets checkpoint, said that trucks would be blocked, but humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine would be allowed to pass through. According to him, the protest was officially registered by Polish carriers with local authorities until January 3, 2024.

Read also: Ukraine, Poland officials to meet at border Monday to resolve checkpoint blocking issue

Among the carriers' demands to the Polish government are the return of the practice of permits for Ukrainian carriers; toughening of ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport) transportation rules for foreign carriers; inability to register companies in Poland if their financial activities are not in the EU; a separate queue for cars with EU license plates; a separate queue at all borders for empty trucks; and access to the Ukrainian Shliakh system.

Over the past day, 27 vehicles were able to cross the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint to leave Ukraine, 40 vehicles crossed the Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne checkpoint, and 227 trucks crossed the Krakivets-Korczowa checkpoint.