V4 countries call for EU to tighten controls on Ukraine grain routes

The agriculture ministers of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries on Tuesday called on the European Union (EU) to tighten controls on the routes for Ukraine's grain exports and to introduce new measures.

"We want to propose the European Commission to introduce refundable deposits or another financial mechanism for traders who import grain from Ukraine. If they can prove that the grains leave Europe via the Baltic or Polish ports, they will get their money back," Czech Minister of Agriculture Marek Vyborny said in a statement.

He made the remarks following a meeting with his counterparts from Hungary, Poland and Slovakia in the southern Czech town of Znojmo. Ukraine's Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Mykola Solskyi also participated in the meeting online.