G7 Ambassadors visit Odessa port, reiterate importance of grain corridor agreement

The Ambassadors of the Group of Seven (G7) countries visited the port of Odessa on Friday and stressed the importance of implementing the recently signed grain corridor agreement by Russia and Ukraine. Taking to Twitter, British Ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons stated that she along with G7 and Turkey's diplomat visited Odessa to reiterate the importance of the United Nations-brokered deal to allow the resumption of Ukrainian food exports. She also asked Russia to respect the deal which was signed by two warring countries on July 22 in Istanbul.  

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Putin also visited Black Sea ports on Friday to take a stock of ships being loaded with grains to be exported to foreign markets. His visit to the Ukrainian ports comes as workers were seen constructing terminals for grain exports, on which millions of destitute people rely globally. Zelenskyy stated that the export of grain will start soon with the departure of ships that were halted since the onset of the war. 

Ukraine intends to export nearly 20 million tonnes of grains

"Our side is fully prepared. We sent all the signals to our partners, the UN and Turkey. Our military guarantees the security situation and it is important for us that Ukraine remains the guarantor of global food security," the embattled President noted, as per the Associated Press (AP). According to reports, the visits to the ports are a part of a larger effort by Ukraine to demonstrate to the world that they are almost ready to resume exporting millions of tonnes of grains, after the historic agreement. The Ukrainian government intends to export nearly 20 million tonnes of grains from Black Sea ports over the next four months.

Russia-Ukraine grain corridor agreement

It is pertinent to mention here that Ukraine and Russia signed separate grain export deals with the United Nations and Turkey, paving the way for the shipment of millions of tonnes of urgently required Ukrainian grain. The deal would enable Ukraine to resume shipping grain from the Black Sea to international markets. In addition, Russia would also begin exporting grain and fertilizers, ending a dispute that had jeopardised global food security.

Image: Twitter/@MelSimmonsFCDO