The freighter is said to have around 26,000 tons of corn from Ukraine on board.
(Photo: Reuters)
Istanbul The first cargo ship loaded with Ukrainian grain since the start of Russia’s war of aggression has arrived in Turkey for inspection. The freighter “Razoni” arrived with around 26,000 tons of corn from Ukraine at the Black Sea entrance to the Bosphorus Strait running through Istanbul and anchored at the assigned point, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced on Twitter on Tuesday.
Representatives of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations should therefore go on board and inspect the ship on Wednesday morning. This is to ensure, among other things, that no weapons are loaded. The freighter is then to pass the Bosphorus. The ship, flying the flag of the West African state of Sierra Leone, is heading for Lebanon.
The freighter was the first ship to leave the Ukrainian port of Odessa on Monday as part of the grain agreement signed by Ukraine and Russia. The ship first had to be guided safely via a special sea corridor through mined waters near the Ukrainian coast.
In the West, the grain deal is primarily seen as a partial solution to the global food crisis. The agreement reached through the mediation of the United Nations and Turkey showed “that small gestures of humanity can be made possible even in these brutal times,” said Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday in New York. UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke of a “milestone”.
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In Turkey itself, humanity and food supply play a subordinate role in the debate about the grain deal. Above all, the media praise the diplomatic skills of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Once again he managed to gain influence on the world stage. “We can be proud of ourselves,” wrote the Turkish daily “Hürriyet”.
The Turkish President at the treaty ceremony on July 22.
(Photo: IMAGO/UPI Photo)
War opponents Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement with Turkey separately on July 22, through the mediation of the United Nations, in Istanbul to allow grain exports from Ukraine from three ports. This also marked the establishment of the control center in Istanbul.
With the deliveries from the Ukraine, millions of tons of grain should once again be available for the world market. Before the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine was one of the most important grain exporters in the world. Billions of dollars are at stake for the country.
With an estimated 22 million tons of grain waiting to be loaded in the Ukrainian port, almost 100 such freighters would have to be loaded in order to empty the Ukrainian grain silos.
The contract between Ukraine, Russia and Turkey and the United Nations is valid for 120 days. Since the first few days have already passed without any shipments, a ship would have to leave the port of Odessa almost every day.
grain ship
26,500
metric tons
The freighter “Razoni” has grain on board.
It is not yet clear how long the inspections off the Turkish coast will last. According to the contract, the government in Ankara had agreed to check the cargo of each ship.
It will soon become clear how quick and thorough the inspections are. If they last longer than a day, the 120 days will hardly be enough to empty the grain silos in Ukraine. Then Ukraine and Russia would have to renegotiate in November – shortly before the onset of winter.
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