Slovak Government Pledges to Prevent Border Blockade, Eases Concerns with Ukraine
The Slovak government has assured Ukraine that it will take measures to prevent the blockade of the border. In a conversation with Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Serhiy Derkach, Slovakia's State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Denisa Zhilakova, confirmed the Slovak side's commitment to avoiding border blockades by carriers. The Ukrainian official shared this information on his Facebook page.
"Slovak colleagues have confirmed that they do not support the border blockade, especially when it comes to the sole freight checkpoint with Slovakia – 'Uzhhorod – Vyshne Nemecke.' This poses a direct risk of losing freight transport connectivity between our countries. They promise to consult with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Slovakia to prevent such protests," wrote Serhiy Derkach.
On November 21, truckers in Slovakia blocked trucks traveling through the only crossing point with Ukraine, "Vyshne Nemecke - Uzhhorod." This move aligns with Polish colleagues who have been blocking the border with Ukraine for the third week, demanding the cancellation of EU liberalization rules for Ukrainian carriers.
According to information from Slovak border guards, the blockade began on November 21 at 13:30. Ukrainian border guards announced on the morning of November 22 that the border with Slovakia was "temporarily unblocked."
Slovaks are not able to block the flow of goods as strongly as Poles, as Ukraine has a short border stretch with Slovakia, only one crossing point. However, it is the closest to Ukrainian drivers who want to bypass the Polish blockade and reach home faster.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Slovakia, Myroslav Kastran, met with the leadership of the local Association of Carriers. They confirmed the intention to block the border but reported that they are awaiting responses to their letter from the European Commission and the Slovak Ministry of Transport. Therefore, the reason for the blockade starting on November 21 and lasting only one day remains unclear.
Notably, carriers themselves did not participate in the protest, as mentioned by Myroslav Kastran. One of the automotive organizations, not even the organizer of the strike, simply placed a "minibus with a trailer" across the road. On November 22, the Association of Carriers in Slovakia stated that the action with the minibus was not coordinated with them, and before making a final decision on the border blockade, they are still waiting for the results of negotiations between Ukraine, Poland, and Slovakia.
It is worth recalling that since last summer, a so-called transport visa-free regime has been in place between Ukraine and the EU. Ukrainian carriers do not need special permits for trips to the EU. The agreement is valid until the summer of 2024 and has been approved by all EU countries, including Slovakia and Poland, and cannot be unilaterally terminated.
However, Polish carriers plan to continue blocking the border in violation of this agreement until February 2024.