First grain ship leaves Ukrainian port of Odessa since outbreak of war

Russia speaks of “a good opportunity to test the effectiveness of the agreed mechanisms” in Istanbul

A ship loaded with grain has left the Ukrainian port of Odessa (south) on Monday for the first time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, triggered on February 24 by the invasion order given by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish, Ukrainian and Russian authorities have confirmed.

The Turkish Defense Ministry has indicated in a statement on its account on the social network Twitter that the ship has started its journey at 8.30 a.m. and added that it will go to the Lebanese port of Tripoli, from where it will head to Istanbul during the day on Tuesday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dimitro Kuleba has indicated that this is “a day of relief for the world, especially for friends in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.” “The first (ship with) Ukrainian grain leaves Odessa after months of Russian blockade. Ukraine has always been a reliable partner and will remain so if Russia respects its part of the agreement,” he added.

Along these lines, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksander Kubrakov has confirmed in a message on his account on the social network Facebook that “the first ship with Ukrainian food has left the port of Odessa”. The ship is the ‘Razoni’, flagged to Sierra Leone.

Thus, he has explained that the ship “will travel through a corridor whose safety has been confirmed by the guarantor partners: United Nations and Turkey.” “There are 26,000 tons of Ukrainian grain on board,” he pointed out, before recalling that “Ukraine is the fourth largest exporter of grain in the world, so the possibility of exporting it through the ports is a colossal success in ensuring global food security.”

“Today, Ukraine and its partners are taking another step towards averting global hunger. Unblocking the ports will generate at least a billion dollars (about 977 million euros) in gains for the economy and an opportunity for the agricultural sector to plan next year’s crops,” he defended, before thanking “the partners who, despite the difficulties, did not stop working on preparations for exports.”

In this regard, he has emphasized that “Ukraine has done everything possible to restore operations in the ports and in the companies involved” and stressed the “unwavering support of American and European partners.” “It has been a difficult journey that has lasted three months”, he has acknowledged, while advancing that “in the ports of Greater Odessa there are 16 other ships waiting for their turn”.

“These are the ships that have remained blocked since the beginning of the Russian invasion, while we will receive requests about the arrival of new ships to load agricultural products. Over the next few weeks, with support from our partners, we plan to reach the full capacity for shipment of agricultural products,” Kubrakov said.

For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed the ship’s departure from port, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that “this is a good opportunity to test the effectiveness of the mechanisms agreed at the talks in Istanbul,” as reported by the Russian news agency Interfax. “Let’s hope that all the agreements will be implemented by all sides and the mechanism will work effectively,” he added.

The ship’s departure from the port has also been applauded by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who stressed that “this is an achievement of the Joint Coordination Center under UN auspices and composed of representatives of Ukraine, Russia and Turkey.”

“The first commercial leaving the port of Odessa since February has set course for Lebanon with 26,527 tons of corn,” he noted via his Twitter account, less than a week after Turkish authorities inaugurated the Istanbul coordination center for the export of grain from Ukraine under the agreement reached by Russian and Ukrainian authorities, with the participation of the United Nations.

The agreement went ahead after the parties agreed to a UN-sponsored plan to form a coordination center in the city of Istanbul with the aim of carrying out joint inspections at port entrances and exits and ensuring the safety of the routes.

In this regard, the ships are scheduled to cross the Black Sea to the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey, where the joint coordination center is located. This center will be responsible for examining ships entering Ukraine to ensure that they are not carrying weapons or combat material.

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