Moldova will help with the transit of Ukrainian grain

The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said that her country will help with the transit of Ukrainian grain and is trying to find a solution that will suit local farmers and help Kyiv.

“The Republic of Moldova has offered Ukraine assistance in grain transit since the beginning of the war. Not only now, when the ports were bombed. This is the most difficult topic. We are trying to find a solution. We are also negotiating with Ukraine, Romania and the European Commission to see how we can reconcile the interests of the farmers of the Republic of Moldova, as well as ensure the transit of this grain from Ukraine. We are obliged to help Ukraine, which today provides our peace,” Sandu said in an interview with RFI.

With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova plays an important role in the transit of Ukrainian grain. Recently, a meeting was held in Galati with representatives of Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, the USA, and the EU, at which they tried to find a solution to diversify alternative routes for grain exports by rail, road and sea transport.

“We will do everything to find a solution that is as beneficial as possible for both parties. The government will continue the discussion in this format. And obviously one of the solutions is to make rapid investments in transport infrastructure, port infrastructure to increase capacity for this period, because we want to increase our exports, we want to develop our infrastructure and we can do this in particular , at the expense of the resources of the European Union,” Sandu said.

According to her, there is also the problem of farmers in the Republic of Moldova, who even before these crises caused by the war did not have enough export opportunities.

We have to admit that both the railway and port infrastructure in the Republic of Moldova are underdeveloped. “Now that these large volumes are coming from Ukraine, the situation has become more complicated,” Sandu noted.

And regarding the claims of Moldovan farmers who insist on banning the import of grain from Ukraine and threaten to resume protests in the center of the capital, the head of state repeated that “we must help Ukraine.” “This is our duty. On the other hand, the government has taken measures to support Moldovan producers. It is obvious that we will continue to make efforts to help farmers, taking into account the available resources. We need to support other directions. The war affected several sectors of the economy. We must make sure that government support is distributed fairly,” Sandu said.

In this context, she stated that while the war continues in Ukraine, there are risks for the Republic of Moldova. At the same time, the Republic of Moldova works closely with Romania, the United States of America, NATO member countries, which “help us strengthen our defense system, and obviously we count on their support in difficult situations. Now the citizens of the Republic of Moldova are safe.”

“We continue to enjoy peace and security thanks to Ukraine, we owe much to the courage of the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian army. We are grateful to them for this world,” emphasized the President of the Republic of Moldova.

Let us remind you that Moldovan farmers, who repeatedly protested at the beginning of the summer, again took part in another rally in the center of Chisinau. Among other demands, farmers want a meeting with the country's Prime Minister Dorin Recean, compensation for grain producers and distribution of diesel fuel, which was transferred from Romania.