On Wednesday, 19 April, the Bulgarian government imposed a temporary ban on food imports from Ukraine, with the exception of transit goods, Ukrinform has reported.
"Over the past year, a significant amount of (Ukrainian - ed.) food has remained in the country and disrupted food chains. If this trend continues or intensifies, the consequences for Bulgarian business could be extremely serious. We are forced to take this national measure as the European authorities are still considering an adequate response," said acting Bulgarian Prime Minister Galab Donev.
He also expects Brussels to listen to and understand the positions of Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
"We remain in solidarity with Ukraine, but the bankruptcy of Bulgarian farmers will not help this cause," Donev said.
The European Commission has invited trade ministers from five countries to hold talks on Ukrainian grain. The talks are to be held today, 19 April.