Joint surveillance – Russia and Ukraine agree on grain exports

The deal “opens the way for large-scale commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian Black Sea ports – Odessa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhnyy,” Guterres said. “This is a deal for the world.” Shipping grain and food supplies to global markets will help “close the global food supply gap” and stabilize global food prices. “It will bring relief to developing countries on the brink of bankruptcy and to the most vulnerable people on the brink of famine,” Guterres said.

Joint supervision led by the UN
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who also attended the ceremony, called the day “historic”. The grain deal now closed will save billions of people from starvation. Before the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine was one of the most important grain exporters in the world. Grain exports must now be jointly controlled by the warring factions led by the UN.

According to the UN, a humanitarian corridor specifically between Ukraine and the Bosphorus – the strait between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea – has now been established. Accordingly, the exports are controlled by a joint coordination center with representatives of the United Nations, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey in Istanbul. A senior UN official called the center the “heartbeat of the operation.”

Ships must be searched
According to the information, the parties also agreed that ships bound for Ukraine would first be searched in Istanbul to make sure they were not carrying any weapons or the like. There is yet to be a check in Turkey if the ships coming from Ukraine want to leave the Black Sea again. This is to ensure that only grain is on board. That had been a condition of Russia.

Ships in the humanitarian corridor and the ports concerned must not be attacked. This point is interpreted in New York to mean that a ceasefire should actually apply in these strategically important places – for example in the port of Odessa. The agreement would initially be valid for four months. However, the UN official made it clear that a postponement until the end of the war was sought. According to the UN, the implementation of the agreement – and with it the export of food from Ukraine – could take several more weeks.

EU calls for swift implementation
“This agreement could benefit millions of people around the world,” EU Council President Charles Michel wrote on Twitter on Friday. Consistent implementation is now paramount. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell called it a “step in the right direction”. At the same time, he called for swift implementation of the agreement. The EU is committed to supporting the export of Ukrainian grain. “Ukraine’s illegal invasion of Ukraine puts millions of people at risk of starvation.” Michel and Borrell thanked the United Nations and Turkey for their efforts to broker the agreement.

“Export is vital”
Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) also welcomed the agreement. “The agreement between the United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia is an important step in the right direction. As a result, more Ukrainian grain can be exported again,” he explains in a broadcast. “There are currently about 20 million tons of grain in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. This harvest must now reach the target countries as quickly as possible so that an imminent famine can be averted,” says Totschnig. “This is vital, especially for the food supply in the Middle East and African countries.”