Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, UN form road map for shipping grains from Ukrainian ports: Report

Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Nations have devised a ro map to assure functioning of a safe corridor for agricultural products export from Ukrainian ports, Anolu ncy reported on June 2 citing diplomatic sources. According to report, Turkey has been in communication with Ukraine's government for some time in order to establish a framework to secure safe transit of grain from Ukraine to global markets.

A romap has been established as an outcome of Turkish side negotiations with representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and UN, which will assure functionality of "grain corridor" under auspices of international body. report furr ded that envoys from Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Nations will meet in Istanbul in near future to discuss grain exports from Ukrainian ports.

As per Anolu, grain export centre to be constructed in Istanbul would govern contact between Russia and Ukraine, which will be handled by Turkey in collaboration with UN. With opening of coordination centre in Istanbul, Ukrainian ports will be able to export 20 million tonnes of grain to international markets.

Kremlin's Black Sea Blocke

Kremlin's embargo of Ukraine's Black Sea ports has remained in force three months into Russia-Ukraine conflict, prompting fears of a global food crisis. Ukraine is world's fifth largest wheat exporter, and UN World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley warned earlier this month that if Ukrainian ports are stopped, millions of people around world may perish. tably, Ukraine borders Black Sea to rth, Russia and Georgia to east, Turkey to south, and Bulgaria and Romania to west.

On June 1, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres suggested that food crisis caused by Russia-Ukraine conflict could be alleviated, but that any solution was t imminent and could take some time. It's worth ting that fighting has effectively stifled Ukraine's grain and fertiliser supplies. While Mosow is a key global fertiliser supplier, Russia and Ukraine supply a third of world's wheat. Ukrainian ports have been unable to deliver goods to sea due to a Russian embargo. Meanwhile, due to constraints, Russian ships are reportedly having difficulty carrying food. Guterres hopes that both Ukrainian and Russian exports continue in order to prevent a food crisis in developing world, particularly in Africa.

Im: AP