On 11 December, Slovakian carriers resumed blocking the Ukrainian-Slovak Vyšné Nemecké border crossing point for Ukrainian carriers, Suspilne reported, citing Victoria Sengetovska, spokesperson for the Transcarpathian Customs.
This has been the third incident of Slovakian carriers blocking truck passage at the Vyšné Nemecké checkpoint since November 21. They are demanding that Brussels introduce transit permits for Ukrainian vehicles, arguing that European transport companies cannot compete with them–the same demand made by protesters at the Polish-Ukrainian border.
According to Andriy Demchenko, spokesman for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, the Slovakian carriers began limiting the movement of trucks travelling from Ukraine towards Slovakia at 4 pm on December 11.
“As of now, they are not blocking trucks exiting Slovakia. No information has been provided regarding exceptions for the passage of certain truck categories or the expected duration of the action,” Andriy Demchenko told Ukrainska Pravda.
The Border Guard reported that over 1,200 trucks are waiting in the electronic queue to exit towards Slovakia at the Uzhhorod border crossing point, which adjoins the Slovakian Vyšné Nemecké crossing.
On 21 November, the Slovak Association of Motor Carriers (UNAS) first blocked truck passage at Vyšné Nemecké, adjacent to Ukraine’s Uzhhorod checkpoint, expressing solidarity with striking Polish truckers. On 22 November, the Ukrainian-Slovak border was unblocked.
On 29 November, UNAS announced it would again begin blocking the Vyšné Nemecké–Uzhgorod crossing starting 1 December, joining the Polish protest for the same demands.
On December 4 at 10 pm, the Slovakian protesters ended their blockade after a week. However, on 8 December, a meeting between UNAS and Slovakia’s Transport Minister Jozef Raz failed to reach an agreement on the carriers’ demands, Suspilne reported.
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