Croatia's Adriatic seaports could be alternative routes for transport of the grain supplies to north Africa from Ukraine whose Black Sea ports are being blocked, Foreign and European Affairs Ministry State Secretary, Andreja Metelko-Zgombic, said on Monday in Brussels. 

The Croatian official attended a General Affairs Council that focused on preparations for the next two EU summit meetings, on Ukraine, food supply safety and energy topics. During the discussion, I said that Croatian seaports at the Adriatic are available and that they can be an efficient and short route for the export of Ukrainian grains to north Africa, said Metelko-Zgombic.

As part of the EU’s solidarity response with Ukraine, the European Commission has recently presented a set of actions to help Ukraine export its agricultural produce, and one of the measures are “Solidarity Lanes” for the transport of the exported cereals from Ukraine.

“Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its blockade of Ukrainian ports, Ukrainian grain and other agricultural goods can no longer reach their destinations. The situation is threatening global food security and there is an urgent need to establish alternative logistics routes using all relevant transport modes,” the European Commission reported on 12 May.

Th European Commission proposes those ‘Solidarity Lanes’ “to ensure Ukraine can export grain, but also import the goods it needs, from humanitarian aid to animal feed and fertilisers. ” The RePowerEU plan was also today on the agenda of the General Affairs Council.