Business associations - partners of Ukraine: Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and Italy, issued an open letter in which they called on all companies of the European Union not to extend existing and not to conclude new transport contracts until Polish carriers unblock the Ukrainian-Polish border.
The text of the letter was handed over to the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday. “Call on all EU companies, and the representatives of their respective transport sectors, not to renew transport contracts or award new contracts to Polish transport companies as long as they continue to block the Polish-Ukrainian border,” the text says.
The authors describe the problems caused by the blockade of the border, noting that "exports from Ukraine in November decreased by a staggering 40% and two Ukrainian truck drivers died in the 2,500 trucks long traffic jams at the border posts."
The signatories point to the position of the European Commissioner for Transport Adina Välean, who, calling the blockade of the border "completely unacceptable," stated that these actions of Polish carriers threaten Poland with fines, but "but this will come much too late, for the Ukrainian people."
Having listed the demands of the Poles, the authors of the letter expressed hope that in the event of a boycott by Western European companies of Polish transport companies as long as the blockade continues, these actions will "quickly end." " The Western European market is much more important than the Ukrainian transport market for these transport companies. We have no problems with trade union actions and the Polish transport unions can carry them out within Poland without affecting a nation that is also fighting a tough battle for us," the signatories conclude.
The letter with the title "Open Letter for a boycott of Polish transport companies" is dated December 6 and signed by the Belgium-Ukraine Business Club, the Ukrainian-Austrian Association, the Netherlands-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce Italy.