Grain Ships Depart Ukraine for Morocco, Germany Despite Russian Agreement Suspension

The three ships are the Nimet Torlak, which left Yuzhni on Tuesday loaded with 12,700 tons of sunflower meal for Morocco, the SSI Challenger, which left the port of Chornomorsk on Monday with 49,000 tons of corn destined for Germany, and the Bomustafa O, which left the same port on Tuesday for Libya with 22,800 tons of wheat, reports EFE.

On Monday, 14 other ships, including 12 from Ukraine and two from Istanbul, transited the same humanitarian corridor, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul said in a statement. "UN Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Amir Abdulla, continues discussions with the three member states (of the agreement, namely Russia, Ukraine and Turkey) to restore their full participation in the JCC," it was stated.

"The grain export agreement has largely contributed to mitigating the global food crisis, as nearly 10 million tons of grain have been shipped to those in need," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, adding that problems find solutions in "cooperation and dialogue".

Akar spoke by phone on Monday with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, and on Tuesday with his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, to ensure that the Russian invasion of Ukraine does not impact grain exports due to its importance for global food security. According to the JCC, the total grain exported from the three Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhni has reached 9.7 million tons.