An agreement between Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry and Russia's Transport Ministry will let more than 600 Ukrainian trucks return home / Photo from UNIAN
Ukraine and Russia have agreed to unblock truck traffic from February 16 to February 25, 2016, according to the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry's press service.
The agreement to renew the recently blocked movement of trucks both in Ukrainian and Russian territory was reached at talks with the Russian Transport Ministry, the press service said.
"Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry has agreed on unhindered return home for Ukrainian trucks stranded in Russia or Asian countries on the border with Russia after the suspension of transit traffic. Instead, Russian trucks that are waiting to return home from EU countries will be allowed by the Ukrainian side to move via Ukraine's territory," the press service said.
Thus, more than 600 Ukrainian trucks that have got stuck in Russian territory or are moving from Asian countries to Ukraine will be able to return home February 16 through February 25.
"Similarly, about 600 Russian vehicles will be able to get to Russia from the EU. The Ukrainian side will provide escort for Russian convoys to the border with Russia or Belarus," the press service said.
In this regard, the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry has called on public activists not to impede the movement of Russian trucks in the direction of the Russian border in the next 10 days.
"This is a guarantee that our Ukrainian drivers will be able to freely get back to Ukraine," the press service quoted Deputy Infrastructure Minister Oksana Reiter as saying.
The Infrastructure Ministry reported that more than 350 Ukrainian trucks had been stranded in Russia due to the transit blockade with more than 300 Ukrainian vehicles staying in Asia, waiting for driving home via Russia's territory.
Movement of Russian trucks has also been blocked: 60 Russian trucks were stopped by Ukrainian activists and over 500 vehicles from Russia had been standing in lines on the western border of Ukraine with the EU, awaiting for return to Russia via the territory of Ukraine.