Four Vessels Set To Leave Ukraine Under Istanbul Grain Deal - JCC

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2022) The Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center (JCC) has authorized four ships to sail out of Ukrainian ports on Sunday, as part of the Black Sea grain initiative, the JCC said.

The four vessels (WIN SINO, S-BRILLIANT, ORIS SOFI, AHMET CAN) will carry a combined 92, 520 tonnes (metric tons) of grain and food products out of Ukraine, the JCC said on Saturday.

WIN SINO will leave from the port of Yuzhne and will head to India, carrying 43,500 tonnes of sunflower oil. S-BRILLIANT will depart from Chornomorsk and will carry 40,220 tonnes of rapeseed to the Netherlands. ORIS SOFI will head to Lebanon and Turkey with 6,000 tonnes of sunflower oil. AHMET CAN will bring 2,800 tonnes of wheat bran from Chornomorsk to Turkey.

Another two ships, MAGNOLIA and BRIZA, which were supposed to leave Ukraine on Saturday, have been rescheduled to depart Sunday. MAGNOLIA will head to Turkey with 6,600 tonnes of sunflower oil. BRIZA will carry 6,500 tonnes of corn to Greece.

As of September 10, over 2.5 million tonnes of food products have been transported out of Ukrainian ports via sea under the Istanbul grain deal, according to the JCC.

On July 22, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey signed an UN-brokered initiative to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Black Sea ports.

Three key Ukrainian ports � Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne � were unblocked to resume exports. A joint coordination center was set up to monitor the implementation of the initiative, including ensuring that cargo ships do not carry unauthorized goods or personnel.

The Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday that grain from Ukrainian ports continues to be supplied in accordance with the plan agreed upon as part of the UN-brokered food deal.

Speaking at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that almost all grain exported from Ukraine was being sent not to the developing countries in need, but to the countries of the European Union. According to the Russian leader, restrictions on the mechanism are worth discussing with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan said on Friday that allowing Russian grain to enter the global markets will help resolve the food crisis in Africa and other countries in need. The Turkish leader said he hoped to discuss the issue with Putin.