Ukraine, Türkiye seek to extend Grain Initiative

Ukraine and Türkiye have spoken in favor of extending the Grain Initiative agreement on the safe transportation of Ukrainian cereals from the country's seaports beyond November 22 when the initial deal is set to expire.

This was discussed today during a meeting of Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Ministry of Infrastructure's Facebook page.

The main topic of the negotiations was the implementation of the Grain Initiative and its continuation after November 22.

According to Kubrakov, "today, Akar and I discussed the implementation of the Grain Initiative. From its start and as of today, more than 7.7 million tonnes of agricultural products have been exported, which has already stabilized food prices and is countering the threat of global hunger."

"The parties to the Initiative – the UN, Turkey, and Ukraine – expressed their readiness to continue its operation, and assured that they will undertake maximum efforts for its successful implementation. At the moment, there is no doubt that the 'grain corridor' will continue to operate beyond November 22," the Minister of Infrastructure noted.

Kubrakov thanked representatives of the United Nations for their support, in particular UN coordinator Amir Abdulla, as well as the Ukrainian team working at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul.

He also thanked the Turkish side and Hulusi Akar personally for their effective cooperation.

Also, during the meeting, the Ukrainian side emphasized the importance of speeding up the process of ship inspection by the Joint Coordination Center. This will allow a significant increase in the volume of grain exports to Africa, Asia, and Europe, as well as prevent long queues.

As reported by Ukrinform, in Istanbul on July 22, at the proposal of the United Nations, Ukraine, Turkey, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres signed the Initiative on the safe transportation of grain and food products from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi.

The first ship carrying Ukrainian food left the port of Odesa on August 1.