KYIV, Oct 5 — Ukraine said today its legal disputes with EU members at the World Trade Organisation were “on hold”, after threatening legal action against its neighbours over grain export bans.
“This is generally a question of the functioning of trade between Ukraine and the EU. We see that this problem will be eliminated in the coming weeks and months,” trade representative Taras Kachka was quoted as saying by news agency Interfax Ukraine.
“While we are looking for a practical solution, our disputes in the WTO are on hold for today,” he told reporters in Brussels.
“We are not in a dispute — we have not formalised a working body to conduct a dispute,” said Kachka, who is also Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture.
He added it was important to find a “constructive solution within the whole EU”.
“Despite the fact that the complaints we have sent are against specific member states, including Poland, this is a systemic issue of our relations with the EU,” he said.
Last month Kyiv said it had filed lawsuits at the WTO against its three EU neighbours—Poland, Slovakia and Hungary—over their bans on Ukrainian grain imports.
The Central European countries went against a decision by the European Commission to end the import ban, with Kyiv warning of legal action.
The import bans have led to an awkward diplomatic spat with Poland, Kyiv’s staunchest ally against Russia.
Today, Warsaw welcomed the apparent easing of tensions.
“We look forward to further constructive actions by Ukraine to develop a suitable relationship on agricultural issues,” Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller told the PAP news agency. — AFP
