Three ships loaded with grain departed from Ukrainian ports on Tuesday, despite the fact that Russia has written off an agreement that Turkey is now trying to revive, with high-level contacts already planned with both Kiev and Moscow.
A UN representative at the Istanbul center overseeing the implementation of the agreement has confirmed that, as of midday, three vessels had sailed. The ships, carrying more than 84,000 tons of grain and foodstuffs, are bound for Germany, Libya and Morocco, reports DPA agency.
The agreement has allowed the export of almost 10 million tons since July, but Russia terminated it last weekend in retaliation for an attack on its fleet in the Black Sea. Ukraine, Turkey and the UN decided to go ahead with the shipments, even though Russia has warned that there are now no security guarantees.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to speak «in the coming days» with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Volodimir Zelenski, respectively. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is confident of «overcoming» the current crisis, insofar as the agreement «benefits everyone», according to the newspaper ‘Hurriyet’.
The UN had relied on this pact to improve food security worldwide, insofar as the outbreak of the conflict in February resulted in a disruption of the supply chain and a rise in prices that has particularly affected developing countries.
