Bulgaria decided on Thursday not to extend a ban on Ukrainian grain imports in five eastern EU nations that is set to expire this week.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has closed off Black Sea shipping routes used before the war, resulting in the EU becoming a major transit route and export destination for Ukrainian grain.
But in June, the EU agreed to restrict Ukrainian grain imports to five member states, seeking to protect their farmers who blamed the imports for a slump in prices on local markets.
The five member states are Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Bulgaria's parliament voted 124-69 on Thursday for a resolution to end the ban, citing "solidarity with Ukraine" and the need to "guarantee food security on a global scale".
Ukrainian officials welcomed the decision.
"Bulgaria sets an example of true solidarity," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The Polish government decided Tuesday to extend the ban, which expires on Friday.
Hungary and Slovakia have both said they would do the same if Brussels decided not to extend the restrictions.
Romania indicated it would follow Brussels' decision.
Bulgaria stands out from its regional neighbours because it has many sunflower oil producers who have complained of a serious shortage of seeds and high prices since the embargo was put in place.
Pro-EU Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said Wednesday that lifting the ban was necessary to "stimulate competition in the market" in order to stem inflation.
Sofia will also ask Brussels for aid "to improve its road and rail infrastructure with a view to the faster transport of Ukrainian goods to third countries".
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
US Urges India To "Utilize" Ties With Russia, Tell Putin To End Ukraine War Russia Should Attend Second Ukraine Summit, Says Zelensky Amid Raging War Russian, US Defence Chiefs Discuss Lowering Escalation Over Phone Call What Trump Rally Shooter Did On Last Day Of His Life Under-Fire Trainee IAS Officer Accuses Pune Collector Of Harassment Karnataka's 100% Quota Bill For Kannadigas In Private Firms For These Posts Elon Musk To Move Companies Out Of California Over Transgender Law Four In Five Americans Fear Country Is Sliding Into Chaos: Polls Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Launched In India; Prices Start At Rs. 2.39 Lakh Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.