A senior UN official on Friday revealed details of the grain export deal that aims to resume shipments of grain from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea.
“The ships will cross the Black Sea and exit through the Bosphorus Strait to export grain around the world, according to an agreed corridor,” said the source who asked to be quoted as a “senior UN official”. a few hours before the signing ceremony.
According to the official, the process will be monitored by a joint coordination center that will be established immediately in Istanbul and will include representatives from Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.
“Vessels will be inspected to ensure that no weapons will be brought into Ukraine,” the official said, adding that “both sides have also agreed that there should be no attack on any of the vessels coming out of these ports outside territorial waters by any party.”
Signed separately by Russia and Ukraine with Turkey and the United Nations, the agreement should make it possible to reduce the costs linked to the soaring prices of fertilizers and cereals.
“There is no solution to the food security crisis if we do not reintegrate Ukrainian exports of grain, sunflower oil and foodstuffs into the world market and if we do not facilitate the export of foodstuffs and fertilizers from the Russian Federation,” the official said.
The agreement also commits efforts to facilitate exports from Russia of fertilizers used for the production of foodstuffs and raw materials used to produce fertilizers, according to UN sources.