Turkey expects grain exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea to start on Monday. The chances of a ship loaded with grain leaving a Ukrainian port on Monday morning are very high, a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Channel 7 on Sunday. There are only one or two details left to resolve, he explained.
On July 22, wartime opponents Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement with the UN and Turkey to allow grain exports from Ukraine from three ports. According to Ukrainian sources, more than 20 million tons of grain from last year’s harvest are still waiting to be exported. After the Russian invasion at the end of February, port operations were suspended for security reasons – Moscow was accused of blocking the grain. The UN fears increasing hunger crises in the world due to the lack of grain deliveries.
A center was opened in Istanbul on Wednesday to monitor grain exports. Ships should be inspected when passing through the Bosphorus, ie when entering and exiting the Black Sea, to ensure that no weapons and the like are loaded. The center is staffed by representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey.
Zelenskyy: ready for grain export by ship
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is ready for the first grain shipments across the Black Sea since the start of the war. He said this on Friday after a visit to the Black Sea port Chornomorsk. According to the presidential office, 17 ships with nearly 600,000 tons of grain on board are ready to depart.
UN emergency aid coordinator Martin Griffiths had already announced on Thursday that exports could start soon. In New York, he said there were a number of cargo ships already loaded ready for departure in the ports on the Black Sea.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
