Ukrainian Prez Zelenskyy calls revival of Black Sea Grain corridor significant

KYIV: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said that twenty-eight ships carrying various agricultural products left Ukrainian ports in the past week and the revival of the Black Sea grain corridor is one of the most significant international results despite Russian threats, Al Jazeera reported.

“We showed that the world is capable of guaranteeing stability despite any threats posed by Russia,” he said. “The world did not succumb to Russian blackmail, key actors acted decisively and, as a result, the aggravation of the food crisis was avoided,” the Ukrainian president said.

The Ukrainian vessels that left the Ukrainian ports carried more than 800,000 tonnes of food products from ports in Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdenny, Zelensky said during his nightly address adding that the destinations are Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Oman, Turkey, China, and Ethiopia.

“Moreover, the ship to Ethiopia with 30,000 tonnes of wheat on board was chartered by the UN (World) Food Programme,” Zelenskyy said during the address.

Earlier on Wednesday, Russia resumed its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, after securing guarantees from Ukraine on the non-use of the humanitarian corridor and ports designated for the export of agricultural products for military operations.

“With the help of an international organization and Turkey, the necessary written guarantees from Ukraine on the non-use of the humanitarian corridor and Ukrainian ports designated for the export of agricultural products for military operations against the Russian Federation were obtained and submitted to the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) on November 1,” the Russian defense ministry said in a statement.

“The Russian Federation believes that the guarantees received at this time are adequate and resumes implementation of the agreement – the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Grain and Food from Ukrainian Ports (the Black Sea Initiative) – which had been halted following the terrorist attack in Sevastopol,” the statement added.

The UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed during a ceremony in Istanbul in July. Under the deal, ships transporting grain from three Ukrainian ports travel along an agreed corridor to markets worldwide. (ANI)