Shortly before it expires, the international agreement on grain exports from the war-torn Ukraine has been extended by two months. This was announced by the head of state of Turkey, which was involved as a mediator, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Wednesday.
The agreement was signed in July 2022 to enable the safe export of Ukrainian grain through a protective corridor in the Black Sea despite the Russian war of aggression.
“Thanks to the efforts of our country, the support of our Russian friends, the contribution of our Ukrainian friends, it was decided to extend the Black Sea Grains Agreement for another two months,” Erdogan said. Without a new agreement, the grain agreement would have expired on Thursday.
Opportunity to maintain food security
Moscow sees the extension of the grain agreement as an opportunity to ensure global food security. “We confirm the announcement by the Turkish President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) that the Black Sea Initiative will be extended by two months,” said Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday, according to the state agency TASS.
“This creates an opportunity to ensure global food security not just with words but with deeds, primarily for countries that need it most.” Any discrepancies in the implementation of the grain agreement should be resolved “as soon as possible”. .
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov also confirmed that the grain corridor would last until July 18. “We welcome the extension of the work of the initiative, but we emphasize that it must work effectively,” the 40-year-old wrote on Facebook. “Almost” 70 ships are currently waiting in Turkish waters for approval.
Shiploads are checked for weapons
Russia and Ukraine agreed on an extension of the grain agreement in negotiations mediated by Erdogan on Wednesday. It allows controlled grain exports from the Black Sea ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyj (Yuzhny). Representatives of the UN, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey inspect the shiploads in Istanbul. This is to ensure that only food and no weapons are actually on board.
Ukraine is an important grain exporting country. The agreement was signed last summer with the mediation of the UN and Turkey to mitigate the effects of the Russian war of aggression on the global food supply. The deal, in turn, allows Russia to export fertilizer and food despite international sanctions against the country. However, Moscow repeatedly complained that this regulation was not being observed. (AFP, dpa)
