Cross-Border Pipeline For Transporting Vegetable Oils From Ukraine To Gdansk Port Proposed

The governments of Ukraine and Poland will jointly work on the drafting of a cross-border pipeline project for the transportation of vegetable oils from Ukraine to the port of Gdansk for subsequent export to third countries. 

The CFTS portal reported this, citing the Ukrinform news agency. 

The Polish Council of Ministers approved the Polish minister of agriculture and rural development’s proposal on Tuesday.

The Polish government also approved the conclusion of the relevant memorandum of understanding between the Polish and Ukrainian ministries of agriculture and infrastructure. 

"Implementation of the memorandum will facilitate partial unblocking of Ukraine’s exports and increase food security in developing countries threatened by hunger. Consequently, it should reduce the migration pressure on Europe," the Polish government said in a statement. 

They emphasized that the war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine and the blockading of Ukraine’s seaports necessitated the search for new ways of transporting Ukrainian agricultural products. Poland noted that Ukraine is a significant global producer and exporter of grain and vegetable oil. 

Before the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, more than 90% of these products were exported through Black Sea ports. Meanwhile, the shortage of food is creating an imbalance in global markets and may lead to famine and migration in countries that are particularly dependent on food imports in the future. 

The joint memorandum stipulates that the parties will develop a cross-border pipeline construction project for the transportation of vegetable oils to the transshipment terminal in the port of Gdansk. A joint working group will be set up for this purpose. The working group will present possible options for the pipeline’s routes and provide information about its approximate technical parameters, cost, and the terms of implementation of the project, particularly the proposed route of the pipeline.

The memorandum is expected to be concluded for three years and automatically extended for the subsequent three-year periods. The document can be terminated, but no later than six months before the end of the next period.