Fico: Slovakia to Insist That Ban on Ukrainian Agriculture Imports Continues

Bratislava, July 8 (TASR) - Slovakia will insist that the ban on some agricultural commodities imports from Ukraine into its own market should continue with an eye towards protecting its farmers, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) declared on Monday during a harvest day in the village of Slovenska Nova Ves (Trnava region), which he visited in the company of agriculture minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) and representatives of the Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber. "We won't succumb to modern trends and won't budge, not when it comes to imports of agricultural produce from Ukraine. It still holds that there's a certain list, let's called it a sanctions list, of certain products that we won't import from Ukraine," said Fico. The Slovak prime minister added that he's already discussed the issue with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal. "I explained to him that we can't afford to ruin Slovak agriculture. I told him that we understand that Ukraine has a problem and needs help. But the only thing we're ready to do for you is to create a corridor across Slovakia to enable exports of Ukrainian agricultural products. As for their placement in Slovakia, however, we reject this on principle because we must protect Slovak farmers," underlined Fico. With respect to the future integration of Ukraine into the EU, Takac pointed out that the cultivation portfolio of Slovak farmers will need to change. "Across Europe, but also in Slovakia, a change will need to be introduced in the context of Ukraine's potential joining of the EU. Slovak farmers, who grow only three or four commodities and export them to Western European countries, won't be able to do so any more. Their markets are being taken over by Ukrainian suppliers," explained Takac. mf/df