The Black Sea Grain Initiative to export grain from ports in Ukraine will be extended for 120 days, according to the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukraine together with the United Nations (UN) and Turkey made a key decision in the global fight against the food crisis, the president said this morning (Thursday, November 17).
To date the total cargo of agricultural produce shipped under the initiative including sunflower oil (7%); rapeseed (7%); wheat (30%); and corn (41%) exceeded 11 million tonnes.
Three vessels left the port of Chornomorsk this morning carrying 10,000t and 30,000t of wheat bound for Yemen and Afghanistan respectively, according to the Joint Coordination Centre of the initiative (JCC).
Under the deal grain exports resumed in August, after Ukraine had been unable to export grain by cargo ship since February 24, due to a blockade in the Black Sea by Russian forces.
Black Sea Grain Initiative
As Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN agreed to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres expressed “deep appreciation” to Turkey and president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Guterres said: “Without their generosity and commitment this initiative would never have been born. Istanbul remains the centre of a remarkable diplomatic achievement.
“I welcome the agreement by all parties to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative to facilitate the safe navigation of export of grain, foodstuffs and fertilisers from Ukraine. The initiative demonstrates the importance of discreet diplomacy in finding multilateral solutions.”
Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov described the decision as another important step in the global fight against the food crisis. Ukraine proposed to extend the initiative for one year and to include the port in Mykolaiv.
Russia had temporarily suspended its participation in the initiative including carrying out inspections on foot of an alleged attack by Ukraine on Russian shipping.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen recently said the EU is fully supporting the initiative. The EU also pledged €1 billion to bolster the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes to increase global food security and support the economy of Ukraine.
The Solidarity Lanes have supported the export of 15 million tonnes of Ukrainian agricultural products. Prior to the war, the country would have supplied around 45 million tonnes of grain annually to the global market.