2023-05-17 14:47:58
A day before departure, Russia and Ukraine agreed to extend the grain agreement. It will apply for another two months, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday. Russia had previously threatened an end because it complained regarding obstacles to its own grain and fertilizer exports.
“I hope that this decision will benefit all parties,” Erdogan said in front of representatives of his AKP party in Ankara. His speech was also broadcast on Turkish television. “We will continue our efforts in the future and fulfill all the terms of the agreement. Our Russian friends have stated that they will not prevent Turkish ships from leaving (Ukrainian) ports. We are grateful to them for this decision,” underlined the Turkish President.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it blocked grain exports from the neighboring country. The blockade and sanctions once morest Russia led to sharp price increases for grain and fertilizer, among other things. In July 2022, the Black Sea Grains Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Turkey came regarding.
The agreement 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.
According to the UN, almost 30 million tons of agricultural goods have been exported since the start of the grain corridor. In 2022, more than half of the wheat requirement for the World Food Program of the United Nations came from Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia are important suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other foodstuffs to countries in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. Before the war began, Russia was also the world’s largest exporter of fertilizers. The failure of these supplies following the Russian invasion fueled fears of a hunger crisis in poorer countries. According to the UN, more than 1,000 ships have so far left Ukrainian ports as part of the agreement.
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