Ukraine border crossing with Slovakia opens after protest blockade lifted
Traffic for trucks through the Vyšné Nemecké checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Slovak border has been unblocked, reported the State Border Guard Service.
"On December 4, at 10:00 p.m., the actions of the participants of the protest, who were blocking the movement of trucks through the Vyšné Nemecké checkpoint, ended," the agency writes.
At the moment, registration of vehicles is carried out according to the established procedure, at the same time, due to the complication of traffic on the border with Poland, the number of trucks on the Slovak border has increased, reports the SBGS.
As of Tuesday morning, there are 625 trucks in the line on the territory of Slovakia in the direction of Ukraine, border guards note.
Vyšné Nemecké is the only vehicle checkpoint for cargo passage on this section of the border.
Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Serhiy Derkach said that the department continues to work with Slovak colleagues to prevent further protests.
The official noted that according to the results of the EU Council of Ministers of Transport, the European Commission does not plan to make changes to the current agreement on the liberalization of freight transport, and on the contrary "expresses its readiness to defend transport visa-free."
Since November 6, Polish carriers have been protesting at the border crossings with Ukraine in Dorohusk, Hrebenne (Lublin Voivodeship) and Korczowa (Podkarpackie Voivodeship). Protesters let several trucks pass per hour and demand commercial permits for Ukrainian transport companies, with the exception of humanitarian aid and items for the Ukrainian army.
The Union of Haulers of Slovakia (UNAS), following the example of the Poles, held a warning campaign on November 16 , and on November 21, the Slovak border was blocked for half a day on the private initiative of one of UNAS' supporters.
On December 1, UNAS blocked the Vyšné Nemecké crossing point on the border with Ukraine.