Ukraine and Russia will sign an agreement this Friday (22) that aims to alleviate the global food crisis, which could allow grain to flow through the Black Sea, the Turkish presidency said on Thursday.
“The signing ceremony of the grain transport agreement, which will be attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, will be held (Friday) with the participation of Ukraine and Russia,” the Turkish leader said. office.
The first major agreement between the two warring parties since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February comes at a time when global food prices are soaring and some of the world’s poorest countries are already facing famine scenarios.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres will arrive in Turkey later this Thursday for the signing ceremony at Istanbul’s luxurious Dolmabahce Palace, on the Bosphorus.
“The grain export agreement, which is extremely important for global food security, will be signed in Istanbul (Friday) under the auspices of President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan and the UN Secretary-General,” said Turkish leader’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.
Up to 25 million tons of wheat and other grain were blocked in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and land mines Kiev laid to prevent a feared amphibious assault.
Russian requirements
The first direct talks since last March between the military delegations of the warring parties – which took place last week in Istanbul with the participation of Turkish and UN authorities – resulted in an initial draft to break the deadlock.
The parties are due to meet again this week for the possible signing of a formal agreement. But Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to derail the talks by warning on Tuesday that a deal would only be possible if blocked Russian grain exports were also addressed.
The five-month war is being waged in one of Europe’s most fertile regions by two of the world’s largest grain producers. Virtually all grain from this part of Eastern Europe is mostly shipped out of the region via the Black Sea.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu acknowledged Putin’s concerns on Thursday. “If we solve this problem, it will open the way not only for the export of grains and sunflower oil from Ukraine, but also for products from Russia,” he said.
“Even if these Russian products are not affected by sanctions, there are blockages in shipping, insurance and banks,” he added. “The United States and the EU have made commitments to lift these blockades.”
three gates
NATO member Turkey had good working relations with Moscow and Kiev during the conflict. A member of the Ukrainian delegation at the talks said shipments could be resumed from three ports under full Ukrainian control.
“Exports would take place through three ports: Odessa, Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk. But in the future we hope to expand them,” said Ukrainian MP Rustem Umerov.
Umerov added that the security of the shipments would be checked by a UN monitoring group in Istanbul. Umerov also said that Russian ships will not be allowed to enter Ukrainian waters as part of the envisaged agreement.
“We don’t trust them even if they sign an agreement with the UN. This is an aggressive country,” he said.
Source: El heraldo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
