Greece proposes ports as part of alternative 'grain corridor' for Ukraine

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, George Gerapetritis, proposed at the meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Kyiv to use Greek ports as an alternative route for the export of Ukrainian grain, according to the Greek outlet Ekathimerini.

Greece's plan envisages transporting Ukrainian agricultural products in transit through Romania and Bulgaria to the ports of Thessaloniki and Alexandroupoli. The Greek merchant fleet will be involved in grain transportation.

Consultations are already underway in Brussels between Greece, European officials, some EU countries and United Kingdom regarding the implementation of this plan.

Greece needs to modernize the railway section on the border with Bulgaria in a short period of time in order to establish the operation of the new "grain corridor".

Athens presented its plan as an alternative to grain corridors across the Baltic and Adriatic seas.

The Baltic option, which is supported by Poland and Lithuania, was already agreed by Ukraine at the beginning of October.

The Adriatic option is focused on the Croatian port of Rijeka, where the grain is transported in transit through Hungary and Slovakia.