2,000 tons of Ukrainian corn arrives in Austria

(6 May 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vienna - 6 May 2022
1. Ukrainian ambassador to Austria Vasyl Khymynets, Austrian Federal Minister for Agriculture, Regions and Tourism Elisabeth Koestinger and Austrian Railways head Andreas Matthae posing in front of train lorry with Ukrainian and Austrian flags
2. Khymynets, Koestinger and Matthae
3. Reporters and officials in front of trains
4. Ukrainian and Austrian flags on train, pan down to news conference
5. SOUNDBITE (German) Elisabeth Koestinger, Austrian Federal Minister for Agriculture, Regions and Tourism:
"Grain and animal feed exports can't leave Ukraine via the sea route. That's why we are creating green corridors. To that end I have already started a European initiative. And together with our partners, especially the Austrian Railways, we are now able to welcome the first grain train from Ukraine in Austria. That way we are trying to position Austria as a hub for land routes."
6. News conference
7. SOUNDBITE (German) Elisabeth Koestinger, Austrian Federal Minister for Agriculture, Regions and Tourism:
"At the moment several European countries are trying to establish these green corridors. That's the overall goal. This shipment here will go to an Austrian company and will be paid for at market prices. But – and this is decisive – we do have a big demand, not just in Austria, but on the entire globe. Especially central Africa has a demand for food supplies from Ukraine. Until now these shipments went via the port of Odesa. Now we just have to find alternative routes for those grain shipments."
8. Wide of train with flags painted on it, pan right to show entire train
9. Train wheels
10. Sign reading (French): "Transport of cereals, oilseeds and by-products"
11. SOUNDBITE (German) Vasyl Khymynets, Ukrainian ambassador to Austria:
"The question is how to organise the logistics. Because seaports are being blocked, sea routes are being mined, grain silos are being destroyed, it is extremely important to cooperate with our partners. We are looking for routes to supply the world with food."
12. Camera operator, pan left to officials
13. Close on Koestinger's hands
14. Koestinger, Khymynets and Matthae
15. Train driving past
STORYLINE:
A train loaded with 2,000 tonnes of Ukrainian corn arrived in Austria on Friday as Europe seeks ways to elude blockades on Ukraine's ports amid the war with Russia.
The train left from Ternopil oblast in western Ukraine and was picked up by Austrian Railways in the Slovakian border town of Čierna.
Standing in front of a train painted with the flags of Austria and Ukraine, Austria's farming minister Elisabeth Koestinger announced the establishment of a "green corridor" between the two countries.
"Grain and animal feed exports can't leave Ukraine via the sea route. That's why we are creating green corridors," Koestinger said.
The plan is to export up to 60,000 tonnes of grain from Ukraine via Austria every month, circumventing the Russian sea blockade of Odesa.
While this first shipment has been bought by an Austrian producer of animal feed, subsequent cargoes are expected to find their way to the global south according to Koestinger.
Other countries have started to establish alternative land routes under the "green corridor" branding too, she said.
Austrian Railways is planning to send daily train cargoes via Slovakia, Czechia and Poland to northern Germany.
Each train has a capacity of 2,000 tonnes - until now the northern route was limited to three trains per week arriving at Brake, near Bremen.  
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