After several months of war, an agreement was signed between Moscow and kyiv to allow deliveries to resume.
Ukraine said on Monday it expects to resume its first grain exports since the start of the war.from this week“, after the signing of an agreement with Moscow and despite the bombardment on Saturday by the Russian army of the great port of Odessa. “We expect the agreement to start working in the next few days and we expect a coordination center to be set up in Istanbul in the next few days. We are preparing everything to start this weeksaid Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov at a press conference.
Read alsoAgreement on grain exports between Kyiv and Moscow
SEE ALSO – Cereals: Russian exporters will respect “all their obligations”, assures Lavrov
According to him, the main obstacle to the resumption of exports is the risk of Russian bombardments, as illustrated by the strike that targeted the vital Black Sea port of Odessa on Saturday. Oleksandre Kubrakov called on the guarantors of the agreement, Turkey and the UN, to guarantee the safety of the Ukrainian convoys. “If the parties do not guarantee security, it will not work“, he warned. Exports are also hampered by the presence of sea mines, disseminated by Ukrainian forces to guard against a Russian amphibious assault. According to the minister, demining will only take place “in the corridor necessary for exports“.
25 million tons stuck in Ukraine
Ukrainian ships will accompany the convoys, which will be able to transport not only grain, but also fertilizers, he added. Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yuri Vaskov said the port of Chornomorsk (southwest) will be the first to operate for exports, followed by that of Odessa (south), then by that of Pivdenny (south). -west).
Read alsoUkraine: kyiv accuses Russia of having fired missiles at Odessa, Moscow denies any involvement
“In the next two weeks we will be technically ready to carry out grain exports from all Ukrainian ports“, he said. Ukrainian grain exports, of which up to 25 million have been stuck in the country since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, are crucial for global food security.
SEE ALSO – Cereals: Ukraine expects exports “as early as this week”