Kiev Says Another 10 Cargo Ships Preparing To Leave Ukrainian Ports Under Grain Deal

Ten more ships are being loaded to leave Ukrainian ports as part of a grain deal, Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2022) Ten more ships are being loaded to leave Ukrainian ports as part of a grain deal, Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived at the port in Odessa. According to Ukrainian media, he will continue there negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the grain deal.

"Ten ships are now loading and preparing to leave the ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne. We also have more than 40 applications for entering the Ukrainian ports," Kubrakov said on social media.

The parties are working to ensure that the volumes of transshipment increase daily, Kubrakov noted, adding that the main goal is 3-5 million tonnes per month.

According to him, the parties also pay special attention to food exports to African countries.

The Ukrainian government is discussing with the United Nations and Turkey the expansion and strengthening of the grain deal initiative, Kubrakov said.

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.